


Her Story

by earthvibes



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: 707 is bad with feelings, After Ending Spoilers (Mystic Messenger), Choi Saeran Deserves Better, Combination of all of the routes, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, Han Jumin Has Feelings, Happy Ending, Jaehee needs a break, Mental Health Issues, Mint Eye, No Smut, Non-Graphic Violence, RFA Party (Mystic Messenger), Reader is Main Character (Mystic Messenger), Reader is an Author, Reader uses female pronouns, Reader-Insert, Reverse Harem, Stalking, Zen is a flirt, all of them are interested in her though, cult stuff, don't get me started on v, reader is doing her best and i'm proud of her, reader isn't initially interested in dating anyone, reader was in a past emotionally-abusive relationship, spoilers for the whole game and all the routes, yoosung is doing his best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28084449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earthvibes/pseuds/earthvibes
Summary: You were about to board a plane on a one-way trip to your hometown when your phone buzzed in your pocket.  It was a text message from some sort of app that you didn't recognize."Hello? Can you see this?"Your mom always told you not to talk to strangers, but your life was already sort of ruined, so you didn't listen, and the next thing you knew you were breaking and entering into a dead woman's apartment. Not only that, but someone thought it was a good idea to make you the new party planner for the RFA. Everyone's nice, but you don't know why they are so focused on finding a girlfriend, or why they keep flirting with you. On the downside, though, you might be in danger because apparently there's this cult that wants you as their next honorary member.___I was never happy with how little the Mystic Messenger plot focuses on MC's well-being and her life. I wanted to give MC a bit (a lot) more life to her character than just the girl who says "cheer up." This is a reverse harem that includes parts from all of the routes and MC will meet the characters in person pretty early in the story.I usually update once a week!
Relationships: 707 | Choi Luciel/Reader, Choi Saeran/Reader, Han Jumin/Reader, Kang Jaehee/Main Character (Mystic Messenger), Kim Yoosung/Reader, V | Kim Jihyun/Main Character, Zen | Ryu Hyun/Main Character
Comments: 46
Kudos: 135





	1. Unknown Message

**Author's Note:**

> This story is NOT spoiler-free for ANY of the routes. It also does not follow the same path as any route. This is my interpretation of how the game would be if MC was more involved as a character. I just want them all to be happy.  
> Also, when appropriate, I'll place a TW at the beginning of any chapters because I respect you guys.

The airport was pretty busy for a Friday evening. People rolled their suitcases against the polished floor as they walked to either board their flights, grab some food, or chat with family and friends who greeted them upon arrival. 

You were sitting on the edge of a huge fountain, glancing back and forth from the pouring water to your phone, which was laying against a wall on the other side of the crowded room. This was the only outlet you could find since all the others had been taken, and the fountain was the closest place you could find anywhere to sit. You cared enough about your phone that you looked up every now and then to make sure it didn't get stolen, but you didn't care enough to go stand beside it while you waited for it to charge. Today was hell, and you wanted to rest as much as you could before you boarded your flight in half an hour. 

Your fingers traced along the smooth edges of your plane ticket that was for a one-way trip from South Korea to your home country. You hadn't been there in, what, four years, and you wondered how long it would take you to re-adjust to your old life there. 

You rubbed your eyes and kept them closed for a few seconds as you thought. 

What were you even going to do when you got back home? Where were you going to stay? You didn't have any close family left, and your old friends... probably didn't want to see you, much less even thought about you. All of your work and education was completed here in South Korea, so would you need to either start from scratch with your writing back home, or--

Oh, damn it. 

You were so focused on packing and getting back home that you forgot to tell your publisher you were quitting _and_ moving. 

_It's okay,_ you told yourself. _You've been pretty stressed and busy lately. It just slipped your mind. Everyone makes mistakes._

With a heavy sigh, you stood up and slung your backpack over your shoulder and grabbed your suitcase before walking towards the outlet where your phone was charging. You figured at the very least you could email your publisher an apology and a quick explanation. 

Well, that was the plan, but your screen lit up, and you paused. 

**Unknown:** Hello? Is this chatroom active? 

This... wasn't just a text message. You unlocked your phone, and an app you didn't recognize automatically opened to show a new chatroom. The background of the chatroom was covered in something that looked like coding. You thought about ignoring this and brushing it off as some weird spam thing, but you couldn't help your curiosity. 

**Y/N:** Um. Hello?

 **Unknown:** Can you see this?

 **Y/N:** Yeah?

 **Unknown:** Oh, that's great. I'm sorry to bother you.

 **Unknown:** I found a smartphone at the subway station, but all it had was this messenger app. 

**Unknown:** I want to find the owner, but I don't see any personal information on this device.

 **Unknown** **:** I've been sending messages to this app for a while now.

 **Unknown:** All I see is an address and some sort of passcode. 

**Unknown:** I'd like to go there myself, but I'm currently on a trip.

You knew a thing or two about red flags, and everything about this conversation was sketchy as hell. Your phone continued to ping every few seconds with a new message from this guy, and you figured he must be a pretty fast texter if he was even real. 

You squinted at the messages and once again debated on deleting this app and continuing on with your life when the stranger suddenly gave you an address and asked for your help with returning this lost phone. 

**Y/N:** Why should I help you?

 **Unknown:** You're the only person who's responded so far.

 **Unknown:** I just want to find the owner of this phone. So that way God can be happy.

 **Unknown:** Oh! Sorry I didn't mention it before. I'm religious. 

You stared at that last text and wondered why that was significant information. Unknown quickly changed the conversation back to finding the owner of this lost phone, and how they absolutely needed your help for this since they weren't even in the country. 

**Unknown:** It's a safe place. If you feel unsafe, you can leave. 

This had to be some sort of prank or trap, right? You didn't recognize this app, you didn't recognize this person, but a small part of your craved a little adventure. 

You'd miss your flight, but this would give you more time to update your publisher on your situation. And hey, maybe this really was someone who was trying to return a lost phone. 

Probably not, though. 

You typed up a message and hit send before you fully realized what you were committing to. 

**Y/N:** Fine. I'm leaving if it feels sketchy. 

**Unknown:** You trust me...

 **Unknown:** Thank you!

You pulled up the address Unknown sent you. This apartment wasn't that far from the airport, and the photos of it on Google images were pretty decent. Actually, you sort of recognized this area, so that made you feel a little better. 

A small yawn escaped your throat as you walked through the crowds and towards the exit. As you stepped out the door and called for a taxi, the announcer declared on the airport's speakers that your flight had just departed. 

*******

You typed in the password for the apartment's lock, and when the door swung open, you realized that you had just broken into someone's home. 

You quickly peeked inside the dark apartment, and to your relief, it looked like no one was home. 

**Y/N:** The door's open.

The stranger replied immediately. 

**Unknown:** Good. You should go inside and try to find the owner. Tell them I sent you, and that I have their phone.

You hesitated and glanced up once more at the dark apartment. 

**Y/N:** Can I just enter a stranger's house like this? Isn't that too much?

Unknown dismissed your concerns and said you could just leave a note, or, if you did see anyone, just show them the chat messages so they'd know you came here with good intentions. 

You thought that was very poor reasoning, but you felt like you had gone too far to back out at this point. You shot Unknown another quick text about your decision and then took a step inside. 

The second thing you noticed about the apartment was that it was very cold, which was pretty strange given that it was fall. It was also very, very quiet. The only sound you could hear was the quiet hums of the electricity. 

Feeling the smooth walls and using your phone as a flashlight, you quickly located a light switch and flipped it on. 

The apartment was smaller than you thought. The living room and kitchen were connected as one big room, and there was a hallway that led down to what you assumed was a bedroom and a bathroom. There were some pieces of furniture, but they were all covered in dust and looked barely used. There were no personal items, though. No flowers, no pictures, absolutely nothing that would give you an idea of what type of person lives here. The whole place looked like it came straight from an apartment ad. 

"Hello?" you called out. "Uh, sorry to, um, drop in like this, but I think I found your lost phone?"

No one replied. The door clicked shut as it closed behind you, cutting you off from the outside world. Somehow, the room grew a little colder. 

You let out a long, tired sigh. 

"What the hell am I doing?" you mumbled and pulled out your phone. "I should just write a sticky note somewhere and then leave. It's getting late, and I don't even have a place to stay for the night--what the heck?!"

Your mouth dropped as you stared at your phone. Lines of code in neon green text danced across the screen, and a loud, harsh noise emitted from it, which almost caused you to drop your phone out of fright. Before you had a chance to throw it against the wall in case it was going to explode, the screen went black, and then a chatroom with a starry background opened. 

**Yoosung:** Failed my exams. I can't believe it...

 **707:** Cause you played games all night and didn't study until the morning of lololol

 **Jumin Han:** If you want to work for our company, you should take better care of your grades.

 **Yoosung:** You're still considering me?

 **Jumin Han:** Yes, but you must work harder.

 **Yoosung:** Oh.

 **707:** Nice~ Can't believe u get to work straight after college lol

 **Zen:** Lame. It's nepotism. 

You watched as more chat bubbles popped up and thoroughly read them, hoping for some sort of clue as to what is going on. Who are these people? Why are you spying on their conversation? What is the difference between nepotism and recruitment? Oh gosh, where's the exit button for this?!

 **707:** Wait!!

 **707:** i think someone entered the chatroom;;

 **Jumin Han:** Y/N?

You facepalmed. Why did you put your name as your username?

 **Zen:** Wha the heck? How did it get in here? I thought this chatroom was just for us...

 **707:** HACKER!!

 **Yoosung:** Hacker!? There's a hacker!?

That's it. This was a trap. You were going to die now. 

**Jumin Han:** Who are you? Reveal yourself. Hey, Assistant Kang.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, I am here. 

Still frozen from shock, you didn't know what to do other than read their messages as they popped up. Part of you still debated on smashing your phone and running out of here, but you had an eery feeling that wouldn't solve the problem. 

Against your better judgment and since you were on a roll with bad decisions lately, you typed up a message and hit send.

 **Y/N:** Hello

 **Yoosung:** AHHH IT'S TALKING! GUYS THE HACKER IS TALKING WHAT SHOULD WE DO!?

 **707:** Oh hey. I just found something weird. I traced the IP, and it's coming from Rika's apartment.

 **707:** Someone must have broken into in.

Alright, now it sounds like you were gonna live, but you're probably going to jail. 

More questions quickly popped up from the others, faster than you could keep up with. Feeling overwhelmed, you placed your phone on the floor and sat down next to it, leaning on the wall for support. You wanted to reply to these questions, but you didn't even know where to begin, and your head was starting to hurt. 

You tried to keep up with the chat, and it seemed like there were some mixed feelings about your sudden appearance. There were some threats you ignored, a few messages that were defending you, and then--

And then they kind of forgot about you and started talking about something entirely different, specifically about Zen's musical career. You tuned out of the conversation and didn't bother replying again until you saw 707's message pop up. 

**707:** if it doesn't reply I'll hack their phone and find out

That got your attention. With cold fingers, you hastily typed up another message. 

**Y/N:** Uh, hi. i'm (Y/N). Who are you guys and what's this app?

 **707:** lol that sentence was so awkward

 **Zen:** they talk like a normal person. how are they supposed to reply to your threat?

 **Yoosung:** should we... introduce ourselves?

 **Jumin Han:** What? Why?

The chat quickly filled with pictures of the other members along with their introductions. There were five people logged on, and you gathered their names were Kim Yoosung, Han Jumin, Ryu Hyun, Kang Jaehee, and Choi Luciel. Some of them seemed to respond more to their nicknames, so you took a note of that as the introductions continued. Seven even sent you a picture of Jumin's cat, Elizabeth the III. You mentally agreed that she is a very beautiful cat. 

Soon, more questions filled the chat asking how you got this app, and how you got to the apartment, and you did your best to answer them without revealing too much about yourself since you didn't know if you could even trust these people. You told them about Unknown and about the lost phone, and you tried to explain that you truly had no idea how you even got this app.

 **Y/N:** that's all I can really say. the chat log with unknown was deleted when my phone crashed.

**707:** i don't see any chat logs either. so this guy told you the address and the door's password?

 **Y/N:** yeah, I don't know anything else, sorry

 **Y/N:** I'm sort of coming to the realization that this is some sort of weird prank

 **Y/N:** i don't know why else i was told to come here. then again, I'm pretty exhausted, so my thinking isn't that great right now

 **707:** yeah no kidding. who shows up and breaks into some random person's apartment to return a lost phone that you don't even have with you?

 **Zen:** don't be rude. she's a victim here.

 **Yoosung:** why are you assuming they are a she? 

**707:** yeah! i haven't even told you guys what she looks like yet

 **Yoosung:** what!

 **Zen:** so it is a girl?

 **707:** ya

 **707:** i hacked her phone

 **707:** she's cute haha

 **Y/N:** uh... 

Feeling flustered and a little creeped out, you slowly moved your thumb over to cover the camera lens on your phone. 

**707:** lol yeah that'll protect your privacy lolol

 **Y/N:** this day just keeps getting better and better :/

 **Zen:** show me a photo of her

 **707:** lol no

 **Yoosung:** no

 **Jaehee Kang:** no.

 **Jumin Han:** No.

 **Y/N:** no 

**707:** have this picture instead though. I'm callin' V

**707 sent a picture.**

**Zen:** omg is that her

 **Jumin Han:** what?

 **Yoosung:**!!!

 **Jaehee Kang:** That is a picture of me?

 **Yoosung:** o oh yeah sorry ;; 

**Zen:** I'm sorry, too

 **Yoosung:** well, should we tell (Y/N) what this chatroom is for? I think it's only fair since she's probably so confused

 **Y/N:** no no that's ok 

**Jaehee Kang:** I don't think it's wise to tell a stranger about us. Especially a total stranger who joined so unexpectedly. 

**Jumin Han:** I want to ask V for his opinion before we decide on anything. 

**707:** i just got off the phone with him

 **707:** he'll be here soon

 **Y/N:** seriously it's cool

 **Y/N:** i don't need to know anything

 **Y/N:** i was literally about to leave the country forever so I've got like, other things to worry about 

**Jaehee Kang:** Leaving the country?

 **Yoosung:** why?

You cringed. You said too much. 

**Y/N:** I'm not from here. I mean, I've lived in South Korea for a while, but I was gonna head back to my home country soon. 

**Zen:** Oh? Where are you from?

 **Yoosung:** I hope you got to do some cool sight-seeing while you were here! If you have time, I don't mind showing you around some of my favorite places!

 **Jumin Han:** I can also recommend one of my company's wineries if you are interested. Tourists always leave satisfied. 

**Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han... 

**V has entered the chatroom.**

**707:** V should be joining soon. He just hung up. 

**V:** I'm here.

 **707:** oh neat

 **Yoosung:** Hi V. 

**Zen:** About time you got here. 

**V:** Hello.

 **V:** How is everyone doing? It's been a while. 

**Jaehee Kang:** I'm doing well. 

**Jumin Han:** V, we have a new person in the chatroom. 

**V:** Yes, I've heard. I'm apparently the last to know about this. 

**707:** I filled him in on the phone so we're all on the same page now ^^

 **V:** Yes, thank you, Luciel. 

**V:** (Y/N), is it? How are you? 

**Y/N:** Oh, hi. I'm doing as well as I can be given the situation, I guess. 

**V:** You must be very confused as well. I'm sorry about all of this, but I'm happy you're conversing with us. 

**Jumin Han:** How did she get into the apartment? Who gave her the password?

 **V:** I'm not sure. 

**V:** I never knew the password. I bought the apartment for Rika to do her work there for the RFA.

 **Yoosung:** I figured out of everyone, you'd know the password, V. Especially since it's Rika's apartment. 

**V:** It was Rika's. I respected her privacy. 

**Yoosung:** sure. 

**Jumin Han:** No one knew about this apartment, Yoosung. If Rika thought we needed to know, she would have told us. 

**Yoosung:** It just doesn't make sense though. I'm her family. It's different. 

**Yoosung:** She never even told me about it. I've never even been there. 

**Zen:** Yoosung...

 **Yoosung:** Seven, you know where the apartment is, right? Tell me. I'll go there right now. I want to see the apartment. 

**Yoosung:** And I want to see what (Y/N) looks like. 

**707:** Um... no?

 **707:** No. You can't go. I'm sorry 

**Yoosung:** What? Why not? 

**707:** Technically, it's not Rika's apartment. 

**Yoosung:** What? 

**V:** The apartment is in my name. I bought it. 

**Jumin Han:** How do you not know the password then, V? 

**V:** I owned the apartment, but it was Rika's. I never needed to know the password.

 **Yoosung:** Were you two even dating? That's insane.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Yoosung. 

**Yoosung:** No guys, this is weird! Right? I'm not the only one thinking that.

 **Yoosung:** Right?

 **Jumin Han:** Ignorance might be the best option for now. 

**V:** Anyway

 **V:** The only people who know about the location for this apartment are myself and Luciel. 

**Jumin Han:** There's a third person now. 

**V:** Yes. There is. And I have to ask something from all of you.

 **V:** Please do not attempt to look for the apartment. And (Y/N), please do not reveal the apartment's location to anyone. 

**V:** Rika kept sensitive party information at that apartment. These are very important documents that have information regarding some of our past guests as well as our organization. 

**Jumin Han:** I never knew we even had documents like those. 

**Jaehee Kang:** Neither did I.

 **Zen:** What about (Y/N)? Does she just stay just there?

 **V:** I believe that (Y/N) joining our organization was no coincidence. 

**V:** Rika must have wanted someone to replace her position in the RFA. 

**Zen:** What? Do you mean with party planning?

 **Yoosung:** If this was something she wanted, wouldn't she have told one of us?

 **V:** She must have told someone else, considering that this 'Unknown' person knew the location and password for this apartment. 

**Y/N:** I'm very confused right now. Party planning? Rika? 

**V:** This chat was created for the RFA. 

**707:** Rika's Fundraising Association. I made this app for it. 

**707:** Which was why it wasn't hard to trace you

 **Y/N:** I thought you were some sort of hacker?

 **707:** lolol that too ^^ u take good notes of strangers

 **Zen:** Anyway, we host fundraising parties for charity organizations.

 **Jumin Han:** When Rika was alive, she was in charge of planning all of them and organizing the guest list. 

**Zen:** We haven't held any parties since she died, though. 

**Yoosung:** ...

 **V:** But since (Y/N) is here now, that might change. This could be what Rika wanted. 

**V:** Actually, I really think this is what she wanted. That's why (Y/N) is here now. It makes perfect sense.

 **707:** well...

 **Zen:** That's a big of a jump, V. 

**Jumin Han:** I'm not sure that's a great idea. I don't understand how you even got to that conclusion. 

**Jaehee Kang:** I agree with the others. I don't think it's wise to trust a stranger, especially given the current situation.

 **Jaehee Kang:** I can always dial for the police if we need them. 

**Jaehee Kang:** No offense, (Y/N). I just don't trust you yet. 

**Y/N:** Don't worry, dude. None taken 

**Zen:** lol "dude"

 **Zen:** How cute

 **Jumin Han:** I believe that's how most of the people on the internet address each other. 

**Jaehee Kang: -_-**

**V:** Luciel already ruled out the possibility that (Y/N) is dangerous. Hence this is why she hasn't been kicked out yet. 

**707:** that's true, but...

 **Yoosung:** I think I'm gonna lose my mind 

**Zen:** I bet (Y/N) feels the same, haha

 **Zen:** She said she was just about to board a plane and leave the country. 

**Y/N:** like i said, it's not ideal, and i didn't expect my night to end like this but

 **Y/N:** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Y/N:** stranger things have happened to me. i went to a public university and college parties, so...

 **Zen:** OH she types out her emojis how cuteee

 **Yoosung:** Wait. You went to college? How old are you?

You debated on lying or ignoring that message for the sake of your privacy, but--

 **707:** 22

 **707:** oh that was a message for her my bad

 **Y/N:** TnT

 **Y/N:** how much about me do you know?

 **707:** enough lolol

 **707:** we r the same age tho

 **707:** sorry yoosung u are forever the baby of this groupchat

 **Yoosung:** Ahhh

 **Yoosung:** Neither of you are that much older than me!

 **707:** he is baby

 **Yoosung:** stoooop

 **Yoosung:** I'm a grown adult!

 **707:** You just started college

 **Yoosung:** I live on my own! 

**707:** in a college dorm

 **Yoosung:** I can do adult things! I make adult decisions!

 **707:** you failed ur midterms and ur about to be a college drop-out

 **Jumin Han:** This is painful to read. 

**Jaehee Kang:** I am looking away from my phone. 

**Zen:** Seven, don't be a bully!

 **Yoosung:** I'm going to cry ;;

 **Y/N:** Should I leave? 

**V:** Anyway.

 **V:** I truly believe this is what Rika wanted. 

**Jumin Han:** I don't agree with your "reasoning," but if you're okay with it, V, then I'm okay with it. 

**707:** Same here.

 **Yoosung:** I guess...

 **Zen:** Does this mean we can start hosting parties again?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Hold on a second. 

**Jaehee Kang:** I respect V's opinion and Seven's research, but are we sure this is the best decision? 

**Jaehee Kang:** We might have ruled out (Y/N) is dangerous, but she is still a stranger who somehow gained access to our groupchat. 

**707:** Oooh she has a good point. Detective Jaehee, on the case!

 **V:** Jaehee. I understand your concerns, but please, trust me on this. I don't have all of the answers but...

 **V:** I would never put the RFA in danger. And if I'm wrong about (Y/N), we can deal with her if we need to. 

**Jaehee Kang:**...

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han agrees, so I will, too. 

**Jaehee Kang:** But this doesn't mean I trust her yet. 

**V:** thank you. 

**V:** (Y/N), are you still there?

 **Y/N:** Still at the apartment, and I'm still in this group chat, yeah. 

**V:** Good. Well, you've read our messages...

 **V:** And I'm sure you have plenty of questions, and I'm sorry for asking this of you, but...

 **V:** I am formally asking you to become a member of the RFA. Specifically, as the new party planner. 

A minute passed as you stared at the message. You wondered what would happen if you just declined. Would that be it? Would they just let you go and trust that you won't tell anyone about the RFA or this apartment? You weren't too sure about that, so did you really have a choice here?

But also... 

This was the most social interaction outside of work that you've had in a long time. Maybe... Maybe this was a good opportunity to finally make new friends. You originally wanted to start a new life back in your hometown, but now... Now you might have a second chance here, especially since you were in a new city, and... And your ex wasn't here to tell you who you could and couldn't be friends with. Everyone seemed so nice, and you'd love to make new friends. And if everything worked out well, then maybe you wouldn't need to worry about moving back home. 

This was a new opportunity. A new adventure and all you needed to do was hit the start button.

Through watery eyes, you typed up a reply and hit send.

 **Y/N:** Okay, sure. Sounds fun. 

**Y/N:** I'll do my best.

 **V:** I'm sure you will. Thank you.

 **707:** WOO party time~!

 **Jumin Han:** You won't regret joining. The RFA has done a lot of good. 

**Zen:** Yeah! And it's got some great people in it, too. 

**Zen:** Such as a certain very handsome member. 

**Zen sent a photo.**

**Jaehee Kang:** My night has been made. 

**Yoosung:** LOL how many selfies do you have of yourself?

 **Zen:** not enough haha ;)

 **V:** I'm going to have to leave now. Once again, (Y/N), I'm sorry that you were tricked into coming to the apartment, but I'm happy to have you as our new member.

 **Y/N:** Thank you. Just tell me what I need to do.

 **707:** she's so easy going~

 **Jumin Han:** So eager to work. I like it. 

**Jaehee Kang:** Of course you do -_-

 **Yoosung:** Ah, I want to meet her! She sounds so nice, too ////

 **Y/N:** I'll get to meet you guys at the party! Maybe even before then? I explore a lot for work, so maybe we'll run into each other ^^

 **Jumin Han:** What work do you do?

 **707:** probably modeling since she's so cute lol

A small chuckle escaped your throat. It felt good to laugh.

 **Zen:** 0.0

 **Yoosung:**!!!

 **Y/N:** I'm not a model, but that made me laugh, haha. I couldn't be a model if I wanted to lol. 

**Y/N:** Don't you already know what I do, though? Since you don't respect my privacy and stuff ^-^

 **707:** Yeah

 **707:** Wait no

 **707:** I just made sure you weren't uh,

 **707:** dangerous

 **Yoosung:** I'm so confused

 **Zen:** model or not, I still want to know what she looks like! It's only fair! She knows what we look like. 

**V:** I'm really going to have to leave now. Seven, please help (Y/N) learn how the app works, and if all of you could teach her what the role of the RFA party planner involves, that would be great. 

**707:** sure 

**Zen:** You can count on us!

 **Yoosung:** I think she'll do great, especially with us helping. 

**Jumin Han:** I'll help as well. Goodbye, V. 

**V:** Goodbye. 

_**V has left the chatroom.** _

More messages quickly filled the screen. It didn't seem like being a party planner for the RFA would be that much work, and the others promised that they would start looking for potential guests right away. You quickly gathered that Jumin Han is the CEO of a very important company, Jaehee is his overworked assistant, Zen is a musical actor, Yoosung likes video games, and 707 is definitely a hacker, but maybe not a legal one? You weren't sure if you wanted to know. 

Slowly, one by one, everyone started to turn in for the night. They wished you well and asked that you made to check the chatroom often. You also learned that it was possible to just send messages to only one person outside of the chatroom if you wanted to, and you were about to finish typing a message to wish Yoosung good luck with school when you noticed that you had an unopened chat message. 

From Unknown.

 **Unknown:** It'll be really fun from here. Enjoy talking to everyone. I'll go get you soon. 

Your blood ran cold as you read the message over and over again. Come get you soon? How soon? And for what? A flurry of emotions crashed down on you, and you hastily typed up a message and hit send. 

**Y/N:** Who are you!?

You weren't sure what you were expecting, but when your phone started ringing, you nearly jumped out of your skin. 

**Incoming call from 707...**

You blinked at the image of the redhead smiling. You didn't even know you could call people with this app. 

You answered the call. 

"Hello?" you said.

"Hellloooooooo, haha!" A cheerful voice said. "Bet you weren't expecting a call from the amazing 707!"

"I really wasn't," you said, glancing out the window. It was dark outside. "I thought everyone went to bed."

"They probably did! Well, some of them did, probably. A lot of them are night owls. I just have a weird work schedule, so I only get to sleep when I can, which isn't now."

"Sounds pretty exhausting."

"It is! My boss works me done to the bone, and I don't ever get days off!" he whined. 

"Never? So what are you going to do when it's time for the party?"

"Oh! Way ahead of you! I just won't show up for work!"

"...Is that a good idea?"

"Yeah! What are they gonna do, fire me?! Hahaha, they'd never do that! I'm too valuable for them."

"I guess you're pretty special, then."

"Gahhh! The new cute member thinks I'm special!" he loudly whispered. "Oh dear, now I'm so flustered I completely forgot why I was calling!"

You laughed. "Oh man, you're so silly, Seven."

"Ohh, and such a cute laugh, too! That's it! You have slaughtered me! I've been defeated!" You heard a chair squeak in the background, and Seven's voice grew a little fainter. "I'm at your mercy now, fair maiden, so be nice to me!" 

"Oh my gosh...this is so cheesy." You snickered. "Hmm... Well, when you ask me like that, how can I be anything other than nice to you?"

"Hahaha, bless you, fair maiden! Bless you!"

You twirled a strand of hair. "So... did you remember why you were calling me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" There was some rustling in the background, and then Seven's voice grew louder. "I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable at the apartment! I know this is probably really strange for you, too. You said you didn't have a place to stay earlier, and V's totally cool with you staying there, but I still wanted to make sure that you're doing good?"

"Oh, that's right. I was gonna ask him if I could pay him rent or something at least for letting me stay here." You bit your lip. "That was really nice of him."

"Nah, he'd never accept your money," Seven said. "Consider it as payment for being the new RFA party planner!" 

"It's still too much, though... Oh, yeah. Seven?"

"Mhm?"

"Unknown texted me."

"What? When?" The chair squeaked again. "Hold on, I'm gonna pull up the chat logs."

"A few minutes ago? I guess when I just joined the chatroom. I didn't notice it until now."

"'I'll come get you soon,' huh...." Seven mumbled. "That's weird. Really weird, especially if Rika really is the one who planned all of this."

"Yeah, it's uh," you glanced up again at the dark window. With one hand, you pulled the curtains shut. "Not gonna lie, it's kind of freaking me out."

"Oh, don't be scared!" Seven's voice perked up. "I'll look into it and see what I can find, and I'll also make sure to keep you safe, okay? You're a member of the RFA now. Practically family. I keep all of my family members safe, and I'm sure that the others think the same about you, too. Plus, the apartment has security cameras, so I'm checking in every now and then to make sure you're doing okay!"

Your brows furrowed. "Security cameras?"

"Ah, well, just the one, really. Rika didn't live in the apartment, but we installed one security camera in the hallway that faces the front door. So I can see who comes in and out, but there's none in the bedrooms or b-bathrooms! That would be really weird for everyone invovled..."

You stood up from where you were sitting on the floor at peeked down the hallway. "This hallway?"

"Yeah! I can sort of see you right now! It's a little blurry since you're far away, though."

You walked closer. You didn't notice it before, but at the end of the hallway was a small, fake ceiling plant. And if you looked very close, you could see camera lenses peeking out from the leaves in the plant. That... That was kind of cool. 

A small smile grew on your lips as you slowly waved at the camera. 

"Hi, Luciel. Can you see me better now?"

"A lot better," he rushed out in a deep voice, and then, flustered, quickly replied. "I-I mean yeah! The quality is better! You're not all pixels, and from a photographic perspective, you certainly do look fine! I mean, n-not saying that you look a-attractive but I-I mean I'm not saying that y-you don't either but uh I'm just gonna go and--" You heard the sound of a screenshot being taken. "Oh I did not mean to hit that button why did I change my command props yesterday oh my gooosh." He cursed under his breath, and you heard a keyboard clicking. 

"I'll d-delete it, don't worry--"

"No wait!" you said, and the clicking stopped as you looked up at the camera. "Keep it. It'll be a good memory of the first time we ever met. Or, well, meeting online, that is. A good record of the beginning of our friendship."

"...Friendship...hah," he chuckled. "Okay, if you insist. I do have a small collection of photos of all of the RFA members on the app, so I'll just save it there."

"Cool," you said, and another yawn escaped your throat. 

"You must be really tired," Seven hummed. 

"It's been a long day."

"I understand! I'll let you go then. You need your sleep! And don't worry about Unknown. I'll be up pretty late, so I'll keep you safe and make sure nothing bad happens, alright?"

"Thanks, Seven. Try to get some sleep too."

"I will not. Agent 707 is out!" 

And just like that, the call ended. You gave one last glance at the camera before retreating to the living room to grab your bags. You were very grateful that you had your own clothes with you because there was no way you would be comfortable with wearing any of Rika's. It just sounded disrespectful, and very creepy. 

Did she even have clothes here? The others said she only used this apartment for work. 

With pajamas on, teeth brushed, and the heat turned on, you opened the bedroom door and flicked on the light switch. Just like the rest of the apartment, this room was only equipped with the most basic furniture, and the smell of dust still lingered in the air. There was a set of lockers next to the bed that were empty, and the bed was neatly made. A desk sat in the corner with an old Dell computer hooked up. The drawers on the desk were locked, and you left them alone since V said he really didn't want you snooping around since Rika had confidential files here. You were more than okay with respecting his wishes and his late fiance's documents. 

You debated on washing the sheets before going to bed, but you were so tired that you could barely stand anymore. You slowly crawled into bed and curled up with a pillow in your hands. Before you even realized it, you were asleep. 


	2. 2 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You just want to sleep. The RFA has different plans.

As the faint memory of your dream slipped away, you slowly woke up. Your body felt heavy, and it took a few seconds of concentration to find the willpower to open your eyes and even more to blink the sand out of them. The pillow cover brushed against your cheek as you propper your chin on it. At first, you thought you were still at your old house, and you were about to get out of bed to go see if he had left for work yet when you heard a faint noise. 

_Bing!_

You paused. That sound was oddly familiar. 

_Bing!_

_Bing bing!_

You turned to your side and found that half of the room was briefly illuminated in a pale white light. It only lasted for another second before it disappeared, but another flash of light quickly followed it as your phone once again alerted you to the notification. 

_Bing!_

With one eye cracked open and the other buried into your pillow, you snatched your phone off of the nightstand and quickly dimmed the brightness. Blinking away the black dots, you unlocked your phone and saw that all of the messages were from the RFA's chatroom. 

**Yoosung:** omg guys i finally did it! it took me all day, but i finally got the legendary armor set in LOLOL

 **Zen:** That's cool but why are you up this late? Don't you have class in the morning? 

**Yoosung:** zen do NOT ruin this for me smh

 **Yoosung:** look at it! isn't it great?!

**Yoosung sent a picture.**

**Zen:** is this why you failed your midterms lol

 **Yoosung:** ZEN WHAT DID I JUST SAY

_**Jaehee Kang has logged in the chatroom.** _

**Zen:** oh hey Jaehee. did his royal hardass finally pick up that cat?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Hello Zen. Hello Yoosung.

 **Yoosung:** jaehee I'm being bullied ;-;

 **Jaehee Kang:** I know.

 **Jaehee Kang:** And Mr. Han just left. Gosh, there's so much cat hair in my apartment... 

More and more messages kept popping up as the conversation continued. Still snuggled into the comforter, you rubbed your tired eyes and logged in.

_**Y/N has entered the chatroom.** _

**Zen:** Oh hey it's Y/N!

 **Yoosung:** She must be a night owl toO ^^

 **Zen:** Nah we probably woke her up with all of our texts lol

 **Zen:** babe, pretty girls like yourself need your beauty sleep!

**Jaehee Kang sent a sighing emoji.**

**Jaehee Kang:** Did we wake you? 

**Y/N:** mm not really. I woke up on my own, but I heard my phone go off so I thought I'd see what's up

 **Yoosung:** aw, turn your phone notifications off! sleep is important!

 **Zen:** He's right, babe. Like I said, you need your beauty sleep. I, however, can look handsome with and without sleep.

**Zen sent a picture. It's another selfie of himself, and he's winking into the camera.**

**Jaehee Kang:** Truly flawless. 

**Yoosung:** brb i got another raid happening real quick in LOLOL

 **Zen:** ikr? It's not easy looking this amazing. 

You clicked on his selfie and took a second to look at him. You had to admit, he certainly was handsome, and his features did fit with many of the current beauty aesthetics. You could see why Jaehee was such a big fangirl. He probably turned a lot of heads when he walked down the street. 

Unsure of what else to say, you decided to be nice.

 **Y/N:** You are very handsome, Zen ^^ 

**Y/N:** And you're a musical actor, right? I'll have to check out your work sometime. I'm sure they're all great. I bet you give every performance your best, right?

Zen's reply was instantaneous. 

**Zen:** Omg thank you! You're so sweet :"D

 **Zen:** I get compliments all the time, but for some reason, that felt really nice to hear you say that

 **Jaehee Kang:** And I can confirm that all of his performances are of the highest quality, regardless of his role in the musical. I own all of his DVDs.

 **Yoosung:** lulll jaehee is a big fangril

 **Y/N:** Yoosung, are you still gaming? 

**Yoosung:** yah sry i can't pause this 

**Y/N:** Don't be. Carry your raid members to victory!

 **Yoosung:** aye captain!!

 **Zen:** I don't believe it. Y/N is actually encouraging your gaming?

 **Y/N:** I mean, there's nothing wrong with having hobbies. Plus, you can't pause this type of game since it's an online multiplayer one. 

**Yoosung:** finally some 1 gets it 

**Zen:** u still don't have a girlfriend, yoosung

 **Yoosung:** suddnly i forgot how 2 read

 **Jaehee Kang:** And proper grammar, apparently.

 **Y/N:** Anyway, are your performances streaming anywhere, Zen? 

**Zen:** Ah, I'm not that much of a star, y/n. I know my manager set it up so that you can order the DVDs off of some website tho

 **Jaehee Kang:** No need to go through the trouble of ordering them. After the party, I'll be happy to lend you mine. 

**Y/N:** that would be very kind of you~!

 **Jaehee Kang:** Of course. It'd also be nice to talk to someone about Zen's achievements. 

**Zen:** you two are making me blush, haha

 **Jaehee Kang:** You deserve every ounce of praise. 

**Jaehee Kang:** Oh gosh, I found more cat hair under my couch pillows. How did it even get here?!

**Jaehee Kang sent a picture. Even without clicking on it, you could see the prominent contrast of white cat fur against the brown loveseat.**

**Y/N:** Do you own a cat?

 **Jaehee Kang:** No, but Mr. Han left me with Elizabeth the III all day.

 **Jaehee Kang:** I'm running out of lint rollers... :((

 **Zen:** That bastard! Does he have no respect for anyone other than himself? And today's your only day off this week, isn't it?! 

**Zen:** Man, I'm super pissed now. WTH

 **Zen:** Jumin, seriously, read my words. you need to chill.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Well, I did get paid for cat-sitting, but... sigh. At what cost did I suffer?

You frowned.

 **Y/N:** that's kind of weird, not gonna lie

 **Y/N:** I've never had a boss show up at my place with his pet. Idk what i'd do if that happened to me. Then again, idk you guys very well yet. Jaehee, are you and Jumin close friends?

 **Jaehee Kang:** LOL.

 **Zen:**!!!

 **Yoosung:** lolllol jaehee just lol'd

 **Jaehee Kang:** I am merely an assistant to Mr. Han. Our relationship is strictly professional 

You made a sour face.

 **Y/N:** oh

 **Y/N:** Just don't open the door next time then

 **Jaehee Kang:**...What if that causes me to lose my job?

 **Jaehee Kang:** I don't think I'm brave enough to do such a thing to anyone, much less my boss, but... Thank you, that made me laugh.

 **Zen:** haha Y/N is BOLD. She's gonna be an awesome party planner, I just know it

 **Yoosung:** yeah! she reminds me of Rika, in a way

 **Jaehee Kang:** I don't know if I can agree with that, but boldness is an important characteristic to have when in the business world. 

**Y/N:** You guys are too kind. I'm not that special //

 **Zen:** No way! I'm telling you guys, there's a reason Y/N was brought to us. It's destiny. 

**Zen:** I'm gonna go practice my lines really quick before bed. I have an audition tomorrow, and if it goes well, I might be in a performance with someone who is actually famous

 **Yoosung:** ya i got another raid starting soon. and omg zen who!?

 **Zen:** It's a secret~! Wish me luck, guys! And if Jumin gives you any more problems, Jaehee, let me know! i'll kick his ass

 **Jaehee Kang:** ^^;; good luck

 **Y/N:** You've got this, Zen!

 **Zen:** night, y/n!

**Zen has left the chatroom.**

**Jaehee Kang:** I should finish revising these papers before Mr. Han's meeting in the morning. Goodnight to everyone. And Y/N, if I can help you with your RFA duties, please do not hesitate to call me. 

**Y/N:** Thank you. Sleep well, Jaehee

_**Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.** _

**Yoosung:** i know the others don't really agree, but... you do really remind me a bit of rika. she was my cousin, so out of everyone here, i was the closest to her. 

**Yoosung:** i wish i could talk to you more, but i really should finish this last raid before heading off to bed. 

You reread his messages with a slight frown. You weren't very comfortable with being compared to a dead girl, but you figured Yoosung was still recovering from his loss. All of the RFA members may be as well, to varying degrees. 

**Y/N:** she sounds like a lovely person, from what the others have told me. I'll do my best with the party planning, and we can talk more tomorrow.

 **Yoosung:** yeah! sounds like a plan. goodnight, y/n~!

_**Yoosung has left the chatroom.** _

Your phone laid next to your side as you laid on your back and stared at the ceiling. Although the conversation wasn't very long, you were oddly awake now, and you felt... Nice. A smile slowly formed on your face as you registered what that warm feeling in your heart was. It was happiness, created from the roots of budding friendships. 

After a moment or two of just laying there, you sat up and grabbed your phone. You were going to place it back on the charging cable but it suddenly started to ring. You blinked at the caller ID and wondered why in the world Zen was calling you so late at night. You answered the call and placed it near your ear, but before you could get a word out, a tenor voice started yelling. 

"Can you believe Jumin, that guy!? Giving Jaehee work to do, even on her day off! Tck!" Zen spat. "Seriously, I don't know what goes on in that man's brain. He only thinks about himself and that cat. Man, did I tell you about that time he brought his cat to an RFA party even though i told him not to!?"

You opened your mouth to reply.

"Yeah! He flat-out ignored me and brought her _anyway!_ The bastard told me to suck it up! He doesn't believe me when I tell him I'm legit allergic to cats! And Elizabeth sheds like crazy! I tried to stay as far away as possible from that cat at the party, but I was still sneezing all night! Gosh, just thinking about it now makes my face itch. He wasn't even sorry!"

"Zen--"

"He still isn't!"

"Zen--"

"And don't get me wrong, I can take all of his back-handed comments and big talk about how I'm poor and hot-tempered and immature! It's just so annoying when he does the same to the other RFA members. We're all supposed to be on a team, idiot!"

"Zen!" you shouted. 

"What? Oh..." Zen let out a frustrated sigh. "I got carried away, didn't I?"

"A little bit," you admitted, humor in your voice. 

"Gosh, and I didn't even properly greet you or let you talk. Some first impression I'm making."

"Hey, I think it's sweet that you care so much for your friends."

"I do care for the RFA members, but in all honesty, I can't really say I'm friends with Jaehee, or any of them really," he said. "I think the same can be said for the others, except maybe Yoosung and Seven. They're best friends to my knowledge. So are V and Jumin."

"Really?" You held the phone closer to your ear. "I thought this was one big charity organization founded by a group of friends."

"Nah, nothing like that. It was Rika's idea to get us together for her plans. There was a point where we were all getting closer together, but... All of that changed when Rika died. Now the app is just a place where we occasionally show up and complain or brag, or, you're Jumin, you use it to talk to your assistant." He exhaled through his teeth. "Sorry! I'm doing it again."

"It's alright, Zen. We all need to vent sometimes."

He chuckled. "Man, I was right. You are a nice person. I don't know how some of the others don't trust you yet. You had my trust the second you joined."

"Are you sure it wasn't the second you found out I was a woman?"

"H-Hey hey hey! That was just a joke, babe. Seriously, I'm not that desperate for a girlfriend," he cleared his throat. "I am single, though."

You giggled. 

"Aw, you have such a cute laugh. Gosh, it's so much nicer hearing you talk rather than read your messages. I don't know how to describe it other than by saying it just sounds more real like you're actually here." He paused for a few seconds. "Tell me, have the others heard your voice yet?"

"Seven called me right before bed."

"Damn, he's quick and bright. I'll have to step my game up. How's life at the apartment, though? I don't know where you are, or much about you, really."

You looked out the window. Dark clouds covered the night sky, blocking out the stars. "It's not too bad. Kind of cold and dusty, but I'm comfortable. And there's not much to say about me. I don't have a very interesting life like you do."

"Babe, I already told you I'm not that famous yet! I don't get enough musical roles to even pay the bills. I have to do a lot of modeling on the side, but in all honesty, I'm not a big fan of the model business. Too many people touching you and adjusting your clothes and makeup, the lights are always too bright, and people only want me there for my looks. Not that I can blame them."

"You are pretty handsome. I have to admit that."

"Hnghh!" Something clattered on the other end of the call, and you heard footsteps. "Hello? Hello?" Zen's voice was a little breathless when he answered. 

"Hi? Are you ok?" you asked, worried. 

"Am I okay? Am I okay, she asks... Gosh..." he cursed under his breath. "Listen, (Y/N), you can't say that sort of stuff to a guy with that tone in your voice, okay? It's just cruel to use your womanly powers like that. Sheesh..."

Confused, you raised an eyebrow. "I'm... sorry?"

"It's okay, it's okay! I'm the flirtatious one in the chatroom. It's only natural that you'd respond in such a way. I have that effect on women all the time, but it was just a little... D-different hearing those words from you."

Your brow furrowed. "Zen, I--"

"Anyway!" he interjected. "I should really practice these lines before bed. But before I go, can I ask you a quick question?"

"Sure."

"How come you haven't sent any pictures of yourself in the chatroom?" Your face flushed as Zen quickly added. "Like selfies! You know what we all look like, but only Seven knows what you look like, and all he told us about you was that you are a cute girl. The app should let you send pictures, right?"

"..." You twirled a strand of hair in your fingers. You tried to think of a good response, but you quickly lost yourself to your train of thought as memories bubbled up.

"...Babe?"

You tugged the strand in your fingers.

"(Y/N)? Are you still there?" Zen's concerned voice snapped you out of your thoughts. 

"H-hi. Uh, sorry, I think I zoned out there." You bit your lip. "I don't want to lie to you and say that my camera's broken or something, so when I tell you... Can you promise to not make a big deal out of it?"

"Huh? I mean, yeah sure, but... Sorry, I think I'm just confused. I promise not to pry if that's what you're asking."

"It's okay, and yeah, that's what I meant." You took in a deep breath, and your free hand continued to twirl a strand of hair. "Not too long ago, I was around someone who... Didn't make me feel good about myself. He said things about how no one would ever find me attractive looking like how I did, so I think I just... Eventually stopped trying to put effort into my appearance, and I started to hate taking pictures. So I haven't sent a picture of myself to the chatroom because I don't have any on my phone, and I don't think I'm comfortable enough yet to take one of myself. Someday I will be, but not now."

You exhaled and gazed out the window. The gloomy clouds still covered the sky, but you could see the moon just barely peeking out. You nervously tugged on your sleeves as Zen took his time to respond, and you were wondering if you said too much but then--

"I'll kill him," he said in a deep, venomous voice.

You coughed. "W-what?"

"I said I'll kill him. Listen, (Y/N), I don't know who is this guy is or was to you, and I'm not gonna ask since I promised not to, but what a horrible, horrible thing to say to someone. Gosh, I just--" he cursed under his breath. "If I ever meet him, I'm kicking his ass. I didn't make any promises about that."

A soft chuckle escaped your lips. "Hah, that's sweet, but... I don't think that's necessary."

"What?! Why not!?"

"Because he's a part of my past, Zen," you said, your voice getting stronger. "I'm not there anymore. I'm waking every day learning to love myself just a bit more, no matter how small it is or how many flaws I have. I gotta keep trying, and I'm getting better at it. I owe it to the girl in me who was too depressed to argue back at that time."

"Hah," he exhaled. "Are you a poet, by any chance? What you just said was more beautiful than anything in the world. Man, Jaehee was right, you are incredibly bold and brave. I want to see you even more now, but I can wait as long as it takes, princess."

"I'm still not that great, Zen. I just try to be positive."

"Hey! I'm the most attractive person in the RFA, so you let _me_ be the judge of that, okay? And my verdict is that you're already a beautiful person, (Y/N). I don't need to see you to know that much."

"I hope we become great friends," you whispered, your eyelids growing heavy.

"You know what? We're friends now, (Y/N). I got your back, and you've got mine. Alright?"

"Okay."

"Now, go to sleep, babe. I don't know if you have work in the morning, or what you even do, but you gotta get some shut-eye."

"Good luck on your audition, Hyun." Your voice was growing fainter and fainter.

"Since I know I have your support, I'll give 150% instead of my usual 100%. Goodnight, babe."

_Click._

The phone call ended, and you fell asleep with it next to you on your bed. The room didn't feel so cold or lonely anymore. 

**+++**

You knew the apartment had been empty for almost two years, but you expected there to be _something_ to eat here. Snacks, like chips or even granola bars at the very least, but after searching the kitchen, this was not the case. 

You scratched your head as you stared into the empty fridge. It was perfectly clean, and if you had to guess, it had never even been used. The fridge light didn't even turn on, and you discovered that it wasn't even plugged in. This was the case with all of the cabinets as well -- not a single crumb was found, and the kitchen appliances looked brand new. Some even still had price tags on them. It sort of weird. If V bought this apartment for Rika to do her work, then why did he bother spending so much on furniture and other stuff? If she wasn't going to stay the night here, then you would've thought all of the stuff she wouldn't need for her job was just unnecessary. 

You puffed out your cheeks and closed the fridge door. Oh well. Maybe they had their reasons. You were in no position to judge another couple's relationship, especially considering your past experiences. 

Your stomach growled, and a lightbulb went off in your head as you recalled that you had some chips in your bag that you bought from a vending machine at the airport. As you dug through your backpack, you also pulled out a half-empty soda bottle that you had tossed in there two days ago. Taking these two items, you walked over to the living room and plopped down on the stiff couch. You had breakfast now. Nice. 

Now that you finally had a moment of peace, you munched on your food and thought about how crazy this past week had been. You finally worked up the courage to leave your controlling ex-boyfriend, packed your bags, crashed at a hotel for a few days to cry and figure out a plan for the future, made a last-minute decision to just go back to just your home country and start over there, and then you somehow got involved with a charity organization that hooked you up with a sort of free apartment. 

You weren't sure if you just suddenly got really lucky or just really unlucky, but you thought things were pretty okay for right now. And your mental health was doing alright, too!

You paused and looked at the half-eaten chip in your hand and recalled that you forgot to eat dinner last night. Oh man, you really did need to go grocery shopping soon. 

A familiar ringtone suddenly played, and your phone vibrated on the coffee table. A picture of a young woman with short brown hair and glasses appeared on the screen.

Taking a sip of your soda, you accepted the call and placed the phone next to your ear. 

"Hello?"

"Hello," a feminine and light voice replied. "This is Jaehee Kang, Director Han's assistant speaking. Is this (Y/N)?"

"Uh, yeah, it is!" you sat up straighter, suddenly feeling a little nervous by how professional she sounded. "H-how are you?"

"I'm doing, well, as well as I can be," she let out a tired sigh. "If you recall from the chat this morning, Mr. Han finally picked up his cat after leaving her with me all day yesterday, but we both got called into work due to the Chariman's sudden absence, and he brought Elizabeth the III with him. However, since he has several meetings this morning, she's been with me since I've arrived."

"Oh yeah. Sorry--I would have tried to talk some sense into him, but I slept in late."

"Talk... some sense into...?"

"Jumin," you said. "He should respect your time off. I mean, your boss showing up to your apartment so late at night and leaving you with a cat isn't very normal, you know?"

"...I don't know where to even begin with this conversation if I brought it up to him. I can stand Elizabeth, but not the cat fur, or, as I call it, c-fur." She shuddered. "I have to keep special tape at my desk just to make sure that I can still look presentable after she jumps into my lap. I will admit it isn't ideal at all."

"But enough about my daily life as a corporate slave," she suddenly said. "You've asked about my well-being, but I haven't returned the favor. How are you?"

"I'm actually doing okay today," you said. "Still at the apartment. I'm hungry, though."

"Have you had breakfast yet?" she asked. "It's the most important meal of the day."

"Do soda and chips count as breakfast?" you smiled.

"Maybe for Seven," she chuckled. "Forgive me for intruding, but you do have access to food, correct?"

"Not at the moment. Rika's apartment is incredibly empty. I'm kind of living off of snacks."

"Well, that won't do," she hummed, and then you heard papers rustling in the background. "If you'd like, I can make arrangements to have groceries delivered to you--oh, that's right. You're not allowed to disclose the apartment's location."

"No, I'm not until V says otherwise. It's his apartment, and I'm staying here for free, so I want to respect his wishes as well as the RFA's and Rika's privacy."

Jaehee was quiet for a moment. "...That is very kind of you."

"I guess so. But don't worry about me! I can still go out, so I was going to go grocery shopping after I finished eating. Thank you for being concerned about me, and for your offer."

Once again, Jaehee paused. "I don't think it is right for anyone to go hungry, but understand that I still do not trust you at this time. There's so little I know about you, and I have so many questions."

"I understand." You figured as much, anyway, judging by her past messages. "Maybe I can answer some of your questions if that'll make you feel better?" 

"Perhaps? You said you weren't from here, but you've lived in South Korea for a while. Where did you previously reside?"

You gripped the phone a little tighter in your hand and took in a sharp breath. You should've expected she'd ask something like this. It was a completely normal question, but to you, it carried a lot of weight. 

_Baby-steps. You're still healing. You don't need to tell her everything just yet._

You quietly told her the name of the city you used to live in. 

"Ah, that's quite a popular area. Did you have any family or friends here? If you are staying here for a while, you may want to contact them. You can't have them over, but they might want to see you."

Another totally innocent question that made your heart hurt for a second before it grew numb. You didn't want to lie to her, but...

"N-no..." You admitted. "There isn't anyone here that cares for me." 

"...I'm sorry," she replied in a soft voice. "I didn't consider the weight my words might have carried before I spoke them. To a certain extent, I might relate. I suppose this is part of why you were about to leave the country."

"I-It's okay," your voice wobbled a bit, but you fought through it. "It's just not something I'm ready to talk about to yet."

"And it's none of my business, either." She added. "I'm just as much of a stranger to you as you are to me. This part of our conversation will not be repeated. It is a secret between two women."

"Girls protecting girls."

"Girls protecting girls," she agreed. "Out of respect for you, I think I'm done asking questions for now. I need to bring Elizabeth back to Mr. Han anyway since his meeting just ended. I trust you will make sure to eat proper meals from now on?"

"Yeah, I will." You smiled and brushed a single tear away. "If lunch turns out well, I may even send you a picture of it."

"I'm looking forward to it. Take care, (Y/N)."

"Bye, Jaehee."

The call ended with a click, and you stared at the sunshine peeking through the white blinds for a few minutes before discarding your trash and making your way to your bedroom to change. Once again, you were thankful that you brought your own clothes and slipped into a hoodie and a pair of jeans. On your way out of the apartment, you flashed a peace sign at the camera in case Seven was watching, and then you grabbed your backpack and left. 


	3. Gamer Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First meetings are always a little awkward. It doesn't help that the RFA member you happen to run into is also an awkward guy.

You felt like a creep for staring, but you couldn't help it. 

The stack of chip boxes you were ducking behind didn't really provide much coverage as you pretended to browse the selection. You didn't really have a reason for hiding -- you never sent a picture of yourself to the RFA, and this is one of the few RFA members you hadn't talked to yet over the phone, so he had no idea what you even sounded like -- but you still felt nervous. There was no mistaking that blonde hair and energetic purple eyes. That was definitely Yoosung Kim, the gamer boy in the RFA, who was looking at a selection of sodas. Loud music blared through his headphones, and you could just barely recognize the song belonging to a famous kpop band called Twice. His head bopped to the beat of it as he listened, completely oblivious to you not-so-casually watching him. 

You clutched the shopping basket in your hand, which was already filled with everything you needed. A large part of you debated on saying something, introducing yourself at the very least, but how could you approach him like this? The two of you were still practically strangers. 

He grabbed a pack of sodas and added them to his cart, which was filled with a handful of actual normal food, unlike your selection of instant and microwaveable meals. Your anxiety peaked when he started to walk towards the register line to check out, and without thinking, you followed him and tried your best to not look like someone who was going to mug him. Of all the days, why did you have to dress in nothing but jeans and an old sweatshirt? 

Yoosung removed his headphones as he greeted the cashier and bagged his groceries. He paid no attention to you at all, but that did little to ease your stress. If you were going to say something to him, now was the time, but every time you tried to open your mouth, no sound came out. 

Your heart sank when the cashier finished ringing up his items, and it dropped even more when Yoosung paid for his items and started to walk away. With every step, your will to stop him also left. Maybe it was better to leave him alone for now. You'd probably freak him out. 

There wasn't much in your basket, so the cashier quickly scanned your items. You paid for your stuff and grabbed your grocery bags, but stopped when you noticed there was an extra one. 

"Oh, that belongs to that young man," the old woman said, clicking her tongue. "He probably wasn't paying attention. I'll just put it under the counter and give it to him when he realizes his mistake and comes back."

She started to move to grab it, but you were faster. "I uh, I actually know him, so I can bring it to him." 

"Well... Alright, dear, but you better hurry and catch him."

"I-I will!"

You were very grateful that you didn't have more than three grocery bags to carry as you jogged out of the store and into the bustling sidewalk. More than a few people gave you some odd looks as you weaved through the crowd. You paid them no mind, though. Your eyes were only focused on the blond hair that bounced up as the RFA membered continued to listen to his music. It wasn't long before you caught up to him, but when you called out his name, he continued walking, completely oblivious to you and your actions. Not knowing what else to do, you swallowed your pride and placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. 

He only jumped slightly at your actions, and when he removed his headphones and turned towards you, only mild confusion was present on his face. 

"Uh, h-hello?" he stammered. "Can I help you with something, miss?"

"I-I mean, yes but also no," you replied. "I was behind you in the grocery store, and you l-left this behind."

"Ohh, thanks! I didn't even notice I was missing this," he cheerfully said, taking the bag from you. "I'm sorry to make you go through the trouble of chasing me down, though."

"No no, it's no big deal. Actually, there was another reason I wanted to talk to you, but I'm not really sure h-how to bring it up. It's especially really weird since you know, we don't even really know each other yet, and the chance that I just happened to run into you today is just _really_ coincidental and now I'm just blabbering and--" You took in a deep breath and set your bags down before rummaging through your pockets for your phone. "I think it'll be better to just show you, actually. I'm sorry, I know I'm not making any sense. I didn't think this through."

He blinked at you, concern filling his purple eyes. "Um, that's okay? Is something wrong?"

"No just--just wait a second, please."

With a puzzled look on his face, Yoosung quietly watched as you unlocked your phone. His eyes widened when you opened the RFA app, but you continued on.

"Hey! Is that--How do you have--?"

Suddenly, a familiar tone started to play, and Yoosung's brow furrowed as he pulled out his phone. His eyes glanced back and forth from the caller ID and your face before he answered the call.

"Hello? (Y/N)?"

You gave him a small smile. "Hi, Yoosung. It's nice to meet you."

He nearly dropped his phone when he heard your voice. "W-what? Is this--are you serious? Am I actually--Is this really you? How? How?!"

"Yes, it's really me," you said, still speaking into the phone. "I hope I didn't scare you."

"Scare me? How could you scare me? This is awesome!" he shouted into the phone. "Oh man, I can't believe this! The others are gone be so jealous. Especially Zen, I bet. Oh! Uh, maybe we don't need to talk through the phone this, actually, since you're standing right in front of me, haha."

He hung up, and you did the same. A wide grin was present on his face. 

"This is so crazy! I didn't think I'd actually get to meet you before the party."

"I'm sorry for being so awkward earlier," you sheepishly said. "I just wasn't sure what to say to you, but I thought I should at least say hello, you know?"

"Sorry? Why are you sorry!? I'm super happy that I ran into you today! Man, you're even nicer and prettier than I thought you'd be! I mean Seven said you were cute and I assumed you were but--" A pink blush bloomed on his cheeks, and Yoosung slammed a hand against his mouth. "Ohhh my gosh, I really said that out loud, didn't I? I'm sorry! I promise I'm not a creep."

You giggled and gently pried his hand away from his mouth. "Don't apologize. Thank you for the compliment. While we're on the topic, I think you're even cuter in person, Yoosung."

Yoosung made a choking sound as his blush deepened. "(Y/N), you can't just say stuff like that to guys! A-anyway, I'm sort of at a loss for words right now. I've wanted to meet you for a while now, and I have so many questions, but my mind's drawing a blank right now."

"Welll," you picked up your groceries. "We can talk more if you want. Maybe over lunch? I haven't eaten yet."

He perked up. "That's a great idea! Where would you like to go?"

"I'm not from this area, so you'll have to guide me."

"Oh! You're in luck. My dorm isn't actually far from here, so I know a couple of places. Do you like udon? Or would you prefer maybe a cafe or something else?"

"Udon sounds great, actually."

"Alright! I know a place that isn't far from here. But uh," he rubbed the back of his head. "Do you mind if we swing by my dorm really quick? I've got some ice cream with me, and I don't want it to melt. Oh! If you have any cold items too, you can stick them in my fridge, and we can stop by there again when we're done eating if that's okay with you."

"That's fine with me, but uh..." You bit your lip. "Are you okay with me coming to your place?"

"Huh?" he raised a brow as he fumbled with his groceries. "Yeah. You're an RFA member, and we're practically friends now. Why wouldn't I be?"

Your heart fluttered a bit at the word friends, but it still felt a little heavy in your chest. "Well, that may be true, but we're still practically strangers. Half of the RFA doesn't trust me yet. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, so I can just wait on a bench for you if you want."

Yoosung's eyes darted to the ground. "Oh yeah. That. Well..." His gaze lifted. "You don't look or act like a bad person."

"I'm not," you admitted. "But I can't really prove that."

"True, but Seven said you're safe, and so did V, but I trust Seven's opinion more than V's..." He mumbled the last part to himself before nodding. "Yeah. I trust you! Just promise not to steal my computer, and we're good!"

You snorted. "I promise not to steal anything, Yoosung."

"You can have snacks! Seven always steals my snacks. Oh! But don't eat too many. I don't want you to ruin your appetite."

"I won't," you promised. "Just lead the way, dude."

"You got it, (Y/N)!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today. Sorry!


	4. Lunch Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have lunch with Yoosung, and you also learn some interesting things.

"Hold still, just like that! Okay! Give me your best smile, Yoosung, and say udon!"

"Udon~!" Yoosung cheered, posing while you took his photo.

"Oh wow! Everything looks great in this photo. Look!" You stretched your hand over the table to show your new friend the image on your phone. 

"I look so cute! And the food looks really tasty." 

"Are you okay if I send this photo to the chatroom? I promised Jaehee I'd show her whatever I was eating for lunch earlier."

"Yeah, go ahead! I wanna use it as my new icon!"

"Okay! Aaannddd sent!" 

"I got it! Oh man." Yoosung waved his chopsticks at you. "The others are gonna freak out when they hear about this. I still can't get over that I got to meet you so soon."

"I know, right?" you agreed. "I mean, what are the odds I just happened to go grocery shopping at that store?"

"You mean, what are the odds that today was the day I actually left my dorm room?"

"Hahaha."

The sound of clinking dishes and chatter filled the air in the busy restaurant. Servers gracefully dashed between tables with piles of food on their trays. You and Yoosung sat in one of the booths next to a window. Swirls of steam drifted off of the two udon bowls on the table, and the smell alone made your mouth water. The two of you happily dug into your respective bowls, and you couldn't help but let out a small, happy hum. 

"This is so good," you said, reaching for your water. "I haven't had food like this in such a long time."

"Really? Did you have breakfast?"

"Haha... Uh, do chips and soda count?" You cringed. 

"What? Is that all you had today?" Yoosung made shook his head in disappointment. "That meal might work for Seven, but you should eat healthier, (Y/N)! I'll admit sometimes I accidentally oversleep and don't have time for breakfast, but I still try to at least drink some milk before I go. You know, I'm actually trying to teach myself how to cook. Did you see the rice and omelet I sent earlier in the chat? It wasn't the best thing in the world, but I thought it turned out pretty okay for my first try."

"I don't think I did, actually. I had to take a subway to get to this area, and the signal was sort of bad. Hang on, let me go check the chat logs and see--" You squinted at your phone. "Oh wow."

"Is something wrong?"

You showed Yoosung your phone and sheepishly smiled. "I think the others are sort of freaking out over our meeting today. And by the others, I mean mostly Zen. Jumin doesn't seem all that interested, though."

"I'll say..." Yoosung pulled out his phone and quickly opened the RFA app. Pursing his lips, he looked up at you. "Should we log in? I don't wanna be rude to you and text on my phone while we're having lunch together, but I also don't wanna ignore everyone's messages. It's up to you, though."

"Well, we should at least say hi to them, right?" you suggested, and Yoosung nodded. 

"Okay! That's what I was thinking, too."

The photo you sent earlier had caused quite the commotion in the chatroom. It looked like everyone in the RFA was logged in right now except for V and of course, you and Yoosung. 

**Zen:**?!?!!!!

 **Zen:** is that Yoosung? (Y/N) are you both together right now?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Oh my.

 **707:** that's definitely our boy, yoosung kim! Yahoo! Nice, dude! You got to meet her before any of us did. I'm so jelly~!

 **Jumin Han:** What an interesting restaurant they seem to be eating in. It seems crowded.

 **Zen:** Wait hold up is Yoosung is with (Y/N) RIGHT NOW!? Just the two of them!?!?!!

 **707:** ya i guess lololol

 **Jumin Han:** What they do in their free time is their business. I will admit that I'm a bit surprised as well, though. I hope (Y/N) didn't reveal the location of Rika's apartment.

 **Jumin Han:** That would be against V's wishes. 

**707:** hM idk. i didn't see our dear gamer boy on the camera feed in Rika's apartment. It looks like our party planner left on her own ^^

 **Jahee Kang:** Oh. She did tell me she didn't have any food at the apartment. Perhaps they made plans to meet up? Technically speaking, she's not allowed to have guests over, but she can leave the apartment as she wishes. 

**Zen:** okay yeah but why did she have to go with yoosung to have lunch O-O 

**Zen:** I want to meet her, too!! 

**Zen:** Wait... Seven, what do you mean by camera feed? Do you have a video camera set up in the same place (Y/N) is currently staying at?! 

**707:** uhhhh

_**Yoosung has logged into the chatroom.** _

_**Y/N has logged into the chatroom.** _

**707:** OH Look a distraction!

 **707:** I mean our new friend!! 

**Y/N:** i want to meet you too, zen! Hi everyone! 

**Yoosung:** hey hey hey

 **Y/N:** Jumin, don't worry about the apartment. I haven't told anybody about its location, and I intend to keep my promise to V regarding that. Yoosung and I just happened to bump into each other at the grocery store! Isn't that wild? Oh, and I had to send a picture of the food because I promised Jaehee I would.

 **Jumin Han:** Thank you for honoring V's wishes.

 **Jaehee Kang:** And thank you for remembering me ^-^

 **707:** The food looks sooooo good. eat some for me, (Y/N)!

 **Y/N:** i will!!

 **Yoosung:** guys i can't believe I'm the first to meet (Y/N)! she's so nice, and she likes video games and udon //

 **Yoosung:** hehe it's my lucky day~!

 **Zen:** TnT the food does look good... Ahhh if only I wasn't stuck practicing for this very important audition, I'd join you guys. I could really go for some udon right now ;;

 **Jumin Han:** I've already had lunch. It was with my father and his new love interest, who is some sort of actress. The two of them hardly even noticed my presence at the table... Typical. 

**Jumin Han:** I also have a meeting scheduled in a few minutes, so I suppose I'll have to meet our new member at a later time as well.

 **Zen:** literally no one asked, rich boy. 

**Jumin Han:** I didn't ask about your business, either. 

**Jumin Han:** Yet here we are. 

**Zen:** It's called having a conversation! 

**Jumin Han:** I am conversing as well. 

**Zen:** Well, stop it. I don't wanna hear anything from you. 

**Jumin Han:** Feel free to leave the messenger anytime, Zen. 

**Zen sent an angry emoji.**

**Y/N:** do they do this often?

 **Jaehee Kang:** I'm afraid so...

 **707:** lololol

 **Zen:** Anyway! You guys will never believe who I might get to co-star with for this musical!

 **Zen:** Drum roll, please~~~

 **Jumin Han:** That is not a feature of the RFA messenger.

 **707:** I'll improvise! badadadadadadada dum dum dum!! !!!

 **Zen:** It's.... Echo Girl!!

"What!?" Yoosung yelled, dropping his phone onto the table and startling you. "He gets to work with her!? Zen!? Oh my gosh, he's so lucky!"

You subtly moved your water to the side to avoid the risk of Yoosung accidentally knocking it over as he frantically waved his hands. The RFA messenger app continued to beep as Seven and Jaehee freaked out as well, but you paid them no mind.

"Yoosung! Calm down. Your phone almost landed in your udon."

"How can I calm down?" he asked, grabbing his face. "It's Echo Girl! THE Echo Girl!" 

You tilted your head. "Should I... Know who that is?"

"Huh?" he gasped. "You don't know who she is?"

"Um, is it the nymph from Greek mythology who was cursed by the goddess Hera to only repeat that last words said to her?"

Yoosung stared at you. "...No? Is that an actual person?"

"Technically a nymph. Not a human."

"I've never even heard of that story." He slumped back into his seat and slowly started typing on his phone again. You were taking another bite of your noodles when your phone beeped. 

**Yoosung:** lol guys (Y/N) has no idea who Echo Girl is

 **Jumin Han:** Neither do I.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Sir, you worked with her before. She was a model for C&R's vitamin brand a while back. 

**Jumin Han:** I've met a lot of models. You need to be more specific, Jaehee, but not now. The meeting is starting soon. We need to go.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, sir. And Zen...

 **Jaehee Kang:** I'm cheering for you!

 **Zen:** :D

 **Y/N:** Good luck with your meeting, Jumin! And take care, Jaehee!

 **Jumin Han:** Thank you. Now excuse me.

_**Jumin Han has left the chatroom.** _

_**Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.** _

**707:** omg echo girl tho O^O

 **Yoosung:** ikr?! Zen, you have to get me an autograph. Please! i won't ask you for anything else ever again if you do!

 **707:** OOO me too!! me too!!!

 **Zen:** I will! ^^ And I can get one for you too, (Y/N)!

 **707:** yaaaaayyyyy I'm gonna sell it and make *money*

 **Yoosung:** omg thank u so much!!!

 **Y/N:** That's sweet, but I'd rather have yours, haha. So that way when you get super famous, I'll be like yeah, that dude is my friend, and he's amazing ^^

 **Zen:** askjfbwe

 **Zen:** aifhs

 **Zen:** ';o;

 **707:** I can do that too!!!

 **707:** kajfbe

 **707:** ikeh

 **Zen:** seven don't mock a man whose heart is in his throat ;;

 **707:** lol wat

"I think you broke Zen." Yoosung whistled. He waved a finger at you. "Tsk tsk. I warned you. You have to be careful with what you say to guys who carry their heart on their shoulders. Although..." He squinted at his phone and made a face. "Zen could be a little less desperate and a lot less dramatic about it..."

You bit your lip and reread your messages. Confused, you looked up at Yoosung. "What do you mean? I was just trying to support him like everyone else."

The blond sighed. "If you don't know, then never mind, hehe."

You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Maybe your tone was too flirty, but you really didn't think so. Besides, if that was what Yoosung meant, then he couldn't be more wrong. Dating wasn't on your mind right now, and there's no way Zen or any of the RFA members would catch feelings over a girl they just met. Heck, Yoosung and Seven are the only ones who know what you look like! 

Pushing Yoosung's comment aside, you continued chatting in the messenger. The others had already changed the topic, and once again the focus was on Zen's audition.

 **Y/N:** What's the name of the musical?

 **Zen:** Oh! I'm glad you asked. It's a beautiful story, actually. If I get it, I think it'll be my favorite performance yet if I get the part. 

**Zen:** There's this kingdom that has a very lonely princess who dreams of seeing the outside world, but her overprotective father keeps her inside the palace. She eventually meets and falls in love with one of the servant boys, who sneaks her out and takes her on a tour of the kingdom. Their love is forbidden due to the difference in their social classes, but in the end, the princess escapes the palace and runs away with the servant boy.

 **Zen:** She chose true love over her royal title. I think that's beautiful //

Your fingers hovered over the text. The story sounded familiar. Could it be...?

 **Yoosung:** that does sound like a lovely story! what's the name of it?

 **Zen:** It's called 'Til the Night Clouds Us'

 **Zen:** The script is very emotional. You can tell the writers put a lot of effort into it. Apparently, the whole performance was based on a book. The original author actually wrote a majority of the parts for the musical. Isn't that awesome?

Ah.

So that's why the plot sounded so familiar. 

**Zen:** Anyway, I'm auditioning for the role of the servant, and Echo Girl is going to star as the princess! Isn't that amazing?

 **707:** ya! that'll really help boost ur career 

**Zen:** Ikr? I better get back to practicing though. My audition is today! Wish me luck!

 **Y/N:** Good luck ^^

 **Yoosung:** you got this, Zen!

_**Zen has left the chatroom.** _

**Yoosung:** (Y/N) and I should finish our meal, too. I don't want to spend the whole day just texting when I can actually talk to her in person.

 **707:** treat our new RFA member right, Yoosung! Pay for her meal!!!

 **Y/N:** You don't need to do that...

 **Yoosung:** Oh! Good idea, Seven! 

**707:** I'm gonna crash for the next 2 hours lol. i stayed up all night working and i haven't finished until now TnT

 **707:** maybe when i wake up, ms. vanderwood will be here, and i will wake up to a clean house~! 

**Y/N:** Try to sleep more than that, Seven! Get as much rest as you can.

 **707:** I'll try.... maybe ;;;

 **707:** ty for caring tho ^^

_**707 has left the chatroom.** _

_**Yoosung has left the chatroom.** _

"That took longer than I meant," Yoosung said. He gave you an apologetic smile. "My bad. I just meant to brag about meeting you, but then I got excited over Zen's audition and Echo Girl."

"It's alright. It was nice talking to the others. And besides, this won't be the last time we meet up, you know?"

"Yeah! Oh, but while we're here, let me show you some of Echo Girl's songs. I think I have my headphones around here somewhere..."

**+++**

The sun was just starting to set when you left Yoosung's dorm. After lunch, the two of you went back to his place to grab your stuff but plans quickly changed when you asked about his gaming system. This then turned into him booting up LOLOL and explaining the controls and lore, and the next thing you knew, you were laying on the floor, watching him game. He offered to teach you how to play, but you politely declined several times, saying that this type of game just wasn't your style, and you didn't want to risk messing with his rank status.

With a lightly flushed face, Yoosung volunteered to walk you to the subway station, and you happily accepted. The trip there was short, and both of you were disappointed by that. However, you promised to text him when you got home, and that seemed to cheer him up. 

The subway was a little crowded. Most people at this time were just starting to leave work and go home. Some snoozed in their seats while others quietly stood and chatted with their friends. You were one of the lucky people who somehow found an empty seat.

A small sigh escaped your throat as you pulled out your phone and scrolled through your missed calls, which were basically nonexistent, save for the one person who didn't seem to have a sleeping schedule. She always called you at odd times, and you came to the conclusion that she never slept. The most recent one was two days ago, which was right before you had tried to leave the country. With cold fingers, you hit the return call button, and your publisher answered after one ring. 

"So did you finally remember you had work to do? Are you calling to ask for a deadline extension with that one theater company you promised an original script to, or are you about to tell me that you finished your book, and we can go ahead and print it?"

"I'm doing well, Joy. Thank you for asking. It's a pleasure to talk to you, too."

She snorted. "Pleasure is money, darling. And we haven't been making any lately since you dropped off the face of the earth. Just where have you been the past week? We had so much planned for this month, including everything from radio talk shows to book signings, and there's this one very important banquet that one of the companies we work with is hosting next week as a thank you for their success with their latest departments. I already made sure that photography will be kept to a minimum--"

"I left him," you said. Those words had been on your lips since you called.

For the first time since you've worked with her, your publisher was silent. "You... You did?"

"Yeah."

"Did he--"

"Put up a fight? No, not really..." You drummed your fingers on your lap. "But that's mostly because I left in the middle of the night. Before he got home from working overtime. He's always working overtime, nowadays."

"Oh, honey... Are you alright? Do you have a place to stay? Are your finances secure?"

"I'm fine, I'm staying somewhere safe, and yes. Our bank accounts were never joined together because he didn't want to do that until we got married."

"Good. I was serious about getting lawyers involved if I had to."

"I know, and I appreciate it. Leaving him was something I needed to do on my own, though." You bit your lip. "I almost left the country without giving you a heads up, though."

_"What?!"_

"I'm not anymore! I met some people, made some plans, made some good and bad decisions... You know how I am."

She took in a deep breath. "Because of the situation, I will let this slide. I understand--no, scratch that, I don't understand what you're going through, but I assume that it must be very difficult. However, please _at least_ give me a heads up if you decide to quit. The office will have a field day responding to all of our clients' calls, and I can only imagine how much paperwork there will be. And ending contracts between theater and book companies is not easy. It hasn't even happened, and I can already sense my migraine forming..."

"I promise. I would've told you earlier, but I had a lot on my mind."

"Thank you." She paused. "...I'm glad you're safe, though."

"Me too."

"Now that I have you on call, we need to go over your schedule for the week, (Y/N). Most of the work can be done from home since, well, you ARE a writer, but there is this one banquet that--"

"Before we get into that, can I ask a quick question?"

"Of course."

"That one story I wrote forever ago. It's called 'Til the Night Clouds Us.' There was a producer we met up with to turn it into a musical. Did that actually get finalized?"

"You don't check your emails, do you?"

"I haven't in a while."

Joy exhaled through her teeth. "Honestly, what would you do without me? Yes, it was finalized a few weeks ago. Auditions are currently happening. The producer and the composer are so pleased with your work that they promised tickets to the first show. I told them that you weren't much for public appearances and preferred to watch your stories from the sidelines, but they insisted, claiming that it would be an honor. Apparently, they hired an A-list celebrity for the lead role. Her stage name is Echo Girl. Have you heard of her?"


	5. Wrong Number

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to not making sense. What kind of charity organization did you join?
> 
> *TW: Mentions of Rika's death/suicide. Brief mentions of mental health issues. Stalking. Tags have been updated.*

"You sound exhausted."

"Do I? Ah, nah, I think you're mistaken. I'm in perfect health, hehe! A fairy like myself doesn't get tired. All fairies work long hours these days to keep the world safe, so we have to use our magic to keep us awake. Magic that comes in the form of Honey Buddha Chips and Ph.D. Pepper!"

"You're a fairy?"

"Yeah, you got it! Seven isn't just any ordinary fairy, though! Seven-zero-seven is the number #1 fairy knight to her lovely and gracious majesty, Queen Vanderwood the 3rd!"

"What an honor."

"Heheh, yeah~! Only a selected few fairies are pretty and brave enough to serve her majesty! Oooh! One time, there was this mission--I-I mean, uh, a war between the fairies and the mushroom kingdom that-- _EEEEEECKKKKK!!!!"_

You jerked the phone away from your ear when Seven let out a high-pitched scream. Something crashed on the other side of the call, and then you could hear muffled shouting followed by an odd zapping sound. Seven was rapidly talking to someone on the other end, and every time he laughed, the zapping sound repeated itself. The only comprehendible sentence you could make out from their conversation was Seven saying something along the lines of, "I'll get back to work." Heavy footsteps stormed away, and it was only when they grew faint that Seven's raspy voice returned to the phone.

"Hello? Helloooo? Did I lose you?"

"You didn't lose me. I'm still here, and still in the apartment."

"Oh, good! Erm, how much of that did you hear? Uh, a-actually, never mind, ah ahaha. Sorry about that!"

"Is everything okay, fairy?"

"F-fairy? Oh, aha, you're talking about my joke, heh. Yeah, I'm okay! It's just that my maid overheard our conversation, and she wasn't a big fan of being a fairy queen. I think she prefers being addressed as the fairy empress."

"Ohh, well you better respect that, Seven. Are you sure you're okay? That was a pretty loud scream."

"O-o-oh, my gosh, you heard that, didn't you? I mean of c-course you did, I wasn't exactly quiet, and n-now you just asked me about it so of course you heard my scream because otherwise, you know, why would you ask about it because that doesn't make any logical sense otherwise and... What am I saying?"

"Uh..." You pursed your lips. "That you're a pretty and brave fairy who needs to respect her empress?"

"Pfft--hahaha!" Seven wheezed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you but I looked up at the camera feed when you were talking, and you said that with such a straight face~! Hahaha! Man, our personalities really click well together, don't they? I can't joke like this with the other RFA members. They don't play along like you do."

"I have no idea what you mean." Standing in the hallway, you tilted your head up to look at the camera and winked. "Fairy business is very serious, Seven. I think your empress might want you to get back to work."

"Aahh! D-don't look at me like that. It's making me feel weird. Like there are fairies in my stomach, fluttering around! Get out, get out, fairies! That's not where you belong! Gaahh, maybe I'm getting sick? I guess that's what happens when you eat only chips and soda for three days straight..."

"Hey, I get doing that maybe every now and then, but you should try to squeeze in some real food! Nutrition is important." You tapped your chin. "Hm, if you want, I can make you something and just drop it off at your place? Or, hey! You could come here since you already know where the apartment is, and maybe we can have dinner together? Heh, I don't know if you know this, but I'm pretty good at writing stories. Maybe we can make one up about your fairy adventures?"

"....That... That sounds..." Seven let out a long, shaky breath. When he spoke again, his tone changed to something more cautious. "Eh, u-um, I don't think that's a good idea, haha. You shouldn't get too close to people like me, (Y/N). I know we're joking, but bad guys like me aren't really the type good souls like yourself should be around, especially in my line of work... I'm kind of breaking some rules just talking to you like this, and letting you be my friend... T-thank you, though, uh, I've n-never had someone offer to cook for me other than my maid, hah..."

Your eyes dropped from the camera. You tried not to let your disappointment show, mostly because Seven's tone didn't really match up with his words. You didn't really know him that well, but he didn't sound like he's a bad person. "Alright, that's fine. I'll just have to meet you at the party, then. But uh... Is there any reason you called?"

"Huh? You called me, though..."

"No? You called me. I was just cleaning earlier. This place is so dusty but oddly neat at the same time."

"D-did I? Oh... I did. I think I was just watching the camera, and I saw you doing some funny moves, so I wanted to check-in."

Your face burned. "I--I was dancing! Dancing while cleaning. I had music playing, too!"

"Dancing? You kind of looked like a worm wiggling around, haha."

"My good sir!" You placed your hands on your hips and stuck your chin up, trying your best to look snobby and offended. "That was the dance that only the noblest of noblemen and noblewomen get to learn and perform in her royal majesty's court! I think you just don't have class nor proper mannerisms." 

Seven chuckled. "Haha, maybe you're right. Anyway, it was fun talking to you. I honestly did feel pretty exhausted and burned out, but talking to you somehow gave me energy. Maybe it's your voice? Maybe there's some sort of pitch in your voice that makes people feel calm. That's a thing with sounds, isn't it? I forgot what they call it. Hm... Oh well. I better finish my work before my maid comes back and tries to punch me again."

"You--why is your maid--?"

"Have fun cleaning! We'll talk again later. Or maybe not. Who knows? I haven't yet figured out how to see into the future. Stay safe~!"

The call ended before you could get another word out. Bewildered, you stood in place for a few seconds before shaking your head.

"What a mysterious, odd guy," you muttered. 

There really wasn't that much cleaning to do. You washed the dishes, swept and mopped the floors, ran a wet cloth over everything that looked dusty, threw your sheets and covers into the washing machine and dryer, and you took out what little trash you had. Since the apartment was so tiny, it really only took you about an hour to do all of this, not including the laundry, which was still in the dryer. You wiped the sweat off of your forehead and sat down on the couch with your laptop. A clock ticked in the background as the seconds went by. 

_Tick..._

_Tock..._

_Tick..._

It was quiet. Too quiet for comfort, actually. Despite your best efforts, the apartment still felt strange. It was spotless, neat, and everything was perfectly organized, but something was wrong with the atmosphere. Maybe it was because you were staying in a dead girl's apartment, but there was just this intense sense of despair that seemed to linger in the air. 

Your eyes drifted towards the bedroom door. Inside that room, there was a desk with a set of locked drawers. V had asked you to not look through them because they contained sensitive party information, and he said an alarm would go off if you tried. You didn't originally question it much back then, but now you couldn't help but wonder. What sort of charity organization keeps sensitive party information in a locked, abandoned apartment with a security camera? You had been a part of a few charities back in college, and there really wasn't anything that you ever handled that would require such a drastic level of security. Even now, as you started to do Rika's old job, most of the guest conversations were just them asking for advice or encouragement. Maybe their past parties included really important people, like celebrities or politicians. Still...

Your brow furrowed. Why did V keep this apartment? You'd think that he would come here and collect the party information as well as Rika's belongings after she passed away. Was this just part of him grieving? You knew that some people preferred to leave the belongings of their deceased loved ones untouched, and you could understand that. You didn't want to judge him; everyone handles loss differently. However, if he really did keep this place for such reasons, then why did he let you stay here? He said he believed that you were sent here by someone close to Rika, and he shut down any arguments that suggested otherwise. But if you really were sent here for that reason, why did it take nearly two years after her death for this mysterious person to find a replacement for her? Out of the billions of people in the world, why were you picked? And why was it done in a way that required you to break into someone's apartment? 

You thought back to that day you at the airport. The most logical guess you've come to was that someone tampered with your phone while you were letting it charge, but you had no idea who. The airport was crowded that day, and you were so lost in thought that you didn't pay much attention to your surroundings, nor towards the people who walked by. Your phone was also locked with a passcode, though, and no one knew it. So someone must've hacked it or got extremely lucky with their guesses. But why would someone go through all that trouble to stay anonymous, trick you, mess with your belongings, have you break into an apartment, and sneak you into a private chatroom just for the sake of carrying on someone's role in a charity organization? 

An odd feeling settled in the bottom of your stomach. If this was a case your ex was working on, he wouldn't have dismissed all of these details as easily as the RFA members did. There were too many suspicious and coincidental factors, and too many questions left unanswered. But there was only one thing that everything seemed to lead back to, and that was the leader of the RFA. 

V. 

He wasn't as active in the chatroom as the others were. Yoosung seemed to not like nor trust him due to his many secrets, but the others treated him with great respect. It was V who decided to let you join, and it was V who jumped to the conclusion that Rika wanted you to take her place. He also didn't seem to be concerned at all with how you ended up in this situation. For someone who just had his lost loved one's secret and secure apartment broken into, he was too calm. Too dismissive. 

_He knows something,_ you thought. _The other RFA members, especially Luciel, are trying to figure out who Unknown is. V seemed more worried about the idea of you revealing the apartment's secrets._

You bowed your head and ran a hand through your hair. You had written enough mystery stories to know that this was only the beginning of something deeper than just being a new member of a party organization, but you weren't going to question it out loud with the other members. A couple of hunches and unanswered questions that led to dead ends weren't going to help anyone. Maybe you were just being paranoid, but you didn't think that was true. For now, the best thing you could do was continue on with your new role while silently observing. You wanted to try to shake off the uneasy feeling as much as possible, but... One really important detail bothered you. 

The door to the apartment was protected by a code. V admitted that he didn't know the code. Through the use of context clues from the past conversations, you could assume that Luciel did because he has access to the security system here. So that meant at least three people know both the code and the location of the apartment.

You.

Luciel.

Unknown. 

_I'll come to get you soon._

The uneasy feeling grew stronger. Three days had gone by since you've heard from Unknown. You didn't know what 'soon' meant, but if Unknown went to the trouble of bringing you this far, then that meant you were some sort of playing piece into this puzzle. Maybe. The only thing you could tell for sure is that the members of the RFA seemed to be good people. If V knew the story behind his, then maybe it wasn't anything bad. The others seemed to think that much, but... You didn't know V. So unlike everyone else, you couldn't comfortably make the same assumption that they did.

With a shaky breath, you exhaled and opened your laptop in an attempt to distract yourself for the time being. Worrying wouldn't help anyone, and you did need a place to stay for the time being. Maybe you could start voicing your thoughts after you become better friends with the RFA members. If you said anything now, you'd raise eyebrows for sure. For now, all you needed to really focus on was your work. The only other option was to run away, but you couldn't bring yourself to do that to your new friends. 

You flipped through a few of the guests' emails and frowned. Your thoughts were too scrambled right now to reply to these. A loud huff escaped your throat as you shut your laptop and slid off the couch and made your way to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would help you calm down.

*******

**Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, if I may say so, what you did earlier to your father was very disrespectful. 

**Jaehee Kang:** I don't know what happened between the two of you at dinner, but the Chairman has informed me that you stormed out of the restaurant and took the limo home. His secretary has been calling me non-stop trying to get me to tell you to answer your father's messages. Please talk to me outside of the messenger. This is a private matter.

 **Jumin Han:** Clear my schedule tomorrow, and book two tickets to my beach resort. I'm taking Elizabeth the III with me. We will return the next day.

 **Jaehee Kang:** What? Does a cat even need a plane ticket...?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Never mind. Mr. Han, you can't do that. The Chairman will be very upset to hear about this, and your sudden departure will only delay our current projects. Your department won't be able to accomplish anything without your guidance and approval. I must ask you to re-consider.

 **Jumin Han:** My father's frequent relationships are already bringing our stocks down. If truly cared for the company, he would listen to my advice, and he would stop investing in whatever business his current girlfriend is insisting on. 

**Jumin Han:** Therefore, if he can't bother to care, then neither will I. Book the tickets, but don't tell my father of my absence unless he specifically asks for my location. Inform the team leaders that they are responsible for their assigned projects, and if they bring you anything that needs my approval, leave it on my desk. I'll deal with it the following morning. 

**Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, you are being unreasonable right now. The Chairman won't be happy when he finds out. 

**Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang. It is just for one day. The company won't fall apart. I just need a moment to myself. 

**Jaehee Kang:** Please answer my calls. 

The tea kettle hissed, and you stopped reading the chat's messages. Your damp hair clung to your face as you prepared and sweetened your tea to your liking. It would take about three minutes for it to properly steep, so you leaned against the counter and returned to your phone, which was buzzing with messages. You felt a bit weird for just reading and not participating in the messenger, but at the same time, you didn't feel like it was your place to intervene. Unable to make a decision about joining or leaving, you continued observing for the time being. 

_**Zen has entered the chatroom.** _

**Zen:** hey! i just got out of rehearsal. what's going on?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Rehearsal? Does that mean you got the part?

 **Zen:** well, sort of... I'll tell you guys about it later

 **Zen:** what's up with Mr. trust fund kid, though?

 **Jaehee Kang:** For the sake of my boss's privacy, I won't say anything more about it in the chatroom.

 **Jumin Han:** My father and I had a disagreement. He brought his new girlfriend to dinner tonight, which was supposed to be just between him and myself. 

**Jaehee Kang:** Please stop declining my calls...

 **Zen:** I don't see what's so wrong with dinner. Let your dad be happy.

 **Jumin Han:** Happy?

 **Jumin Han:** Does his happiness have to come in the form of a woman? I barely said a word during dinner. I don't think they even noticed I was there until I left. 

**Jaehee Kang:** The phone, Mr. Han. Please. 

**Zen:** Don't ignore Jaehee. It's not even business hours, and you're making her work. That's not cool.

 **Zen:** This thing with your father though... Well... that's not a good thing for him to do, but you know how it is when you're in love. 

**Jumin Han:** I do not. 

**Jaehee Kang:** The Chairman's secretary is calling me again... I must take this call. Excuse me. 

**Zen:** get some rest, jaehee ^^

 **Jaehee Kang:** Thank you.

**_Jaehee Kang has left the messenger._ **

**Jumin Han:** I wish he would push his feelings aside for the sake of the company. 

**Zen:** that's not an easy thing to do. i'd say just let the guy have his fun. he's already successful. if he wants to find love, then he can do that. 

**Jumin Han:** I don't know why I'm even telling you this. It's not like you could ever understand. 

**Zen:** What's that supposed to mean?

 **Jumin Han:** It's just a fact. That is all it means. 

**Zen:**???

 **Zen:** No. I want to know what you're trying to tell me.

 **Jumin Han:** I'm not trying to tell you anything, Zen. Just forget about it. 

**Zen:** Are you saying that I'm too emotional or something?

 **Jumin Han:** Emotions can cloud one's train of thought, but that is not the topic I was talking about. As I said before, let's just forget this conversation. 

**Zen:** no, i don't think i will, actually. 

**Zen:** listen, you can say whatever you want about me. i don't care about your opinion at all. 

**Zen:** but leave Jaehee alone. she's tired. she's overworked.

 **Jumin Han:** She's getting paid to do her job. If she doesn't want to answer my father's secretary's calls, she can ignore them. 

**Jumin Han:** I'm not making her do anything she didn't agree to when she applied to this job.

**Zen sent an angry emoji.**

**Zen:** You really only care about yourself and that stupid cat of yours, don't you?

 **Zen:** Jaehee is an exhausted employee. She can't stand up to the Chairman like you can. That's why she has to take his calls. 

**Jumin Han:** Elizabeth the 3rd is not stupid. 

**Zen sent another angry emoji.**

**Zen:** THAT's what you're worried about here?!

 **Jumin Han:** I'm not worried at all.

 **Zen:** Yeah I bet ur not bc u don't even feel emotions, right?!

_**Y/N has joined the chatroom.** _

**Zen:** (Y/N)! How was your day?

 **Jumin Han:**...

 **Y/N:** both of you, stop it. You're arguing like children. 

**Zen:** omg you sound mad TnT

 **Y/N:** I'm not mad. I'm disappointed. Arguing isn't going to help anything. 

**Y/N:** Zen, if you're worried about Jaehee's well-being, call her. Cheer her up. 

**Zen:** i guess i could... do you think that'd help? we're not exactly close...

 **Y/N:** I'm positive it will. Please call her, and stop fighting with Jumin. I can tell he's going through a hard time. 

**Zen:** well, if you say so... Alright. I'll try my best.

 **Zen:** then, goodnight, Y/N! good luck dealing with Mr. Rich boy here :P

_**Zen has left the chatroom.** _

**Jumin Han:**...

 **Y/N:** Jumin?

 **Jumin Han:** Yes, I am here. 

**Jumin Han:** Are you going to suggest that I talk to my father and go to work tomorrow?

 **Y/N:** no, actually. I was going to ask if I could call you right now.

 **Jumin Han:** Call me...?

 **Y/N:** We don't have to talk if you don't want to, but if you do... Then will you answer if I call?

 **Jumin Han:**...Yes.

It took you a second to figure out how to make calls on the messenger, but when you held the phone up to your ear, Jumin answered after the first ring.

"Hello," A deep voice said. "This is Jumin Han, CEO of C&R speaking. Am I correct to assume I'm talking to the RFA party coordinator, Ms. (Y/N)?"

"You are correct. That was a very formal introduction, though."

"It's wise for a businessman to always appropriately and politely answer phone calls with an introduction. It is also important to confirm the identity for the person I'm speaking to. Lastly, this is the first time we have ever spoken over the phone. I wanted to make a good first impression."

You swirled the spoon around in your tea. "Well, consider me impressed. There's no need to treat this conversation like it's some sort of business deal, though."

"Is it not?"

"No? Why do you think I'm calling?"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps to ask about more potential party guests, or for advice on selecting venues. However, the latter may be harder to decide on since V has not set a date for the party, nor do we have a definite list of guests though. You must be frustrated. Rest assured that both Luciel and I have been trying to contact V for the past few days. I believe he may be in an area with poor cellular service, though, so it may be a while."

"Jumin, that's very sweet of you, but that's not why I'm calling."

He paused. "It's... not?"

"I'm calling because I wanted to check in on you. I'm sorry for snooping, but I saw the chat messages between you and Jaehee. We don't need to talk about it -- our first vocal conversation can be about something else if you want -- but are you alright?"

"Are you asking about my mental health?" His voice was as neutral as ever. 

"Well yes. I don't know you very well, but you sounded a bit distressed in the messenger."

"Did I? I didn't notice. Hm..." Silence. "If I worried you, then you must forgive me. I'm perfectly fine."

"Can I say something?"

"Of course."

"I don't really believe that." You admitted. "Even I got a bit upset over everyone's messages. That's why I joined and asked you and Zen to stop talking to each other. You both needed some time to calm down, and although I like Zen, I don't think he was really helping the situation. I hope that this doesn't mean there's more work for Jaehee, though..."

"There's no need to be concerned. I've long accepted that the two of us will never get along. I do wish that you didn't see our messages, though. It's rather rude for us to show such strong and negative emotions in the same chatroom that we have with our new member. On behalf of the RFA, I apologize."

"This is the second time you've asked for my forgiveness, Jumin. There's nothing that I need to forgive. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm always fine."

You sighed. This conversation felt like you were talking to a wall. "Okay. I won't push that topic anymore. Can I ask a question, then?"

"You may ask me anything. I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities."

"I noticed that you keep throwing the word 'emotions' around. It's almost as if you're detached from it. Am I right?"

"...You're undeniably good at noticing details. I assume this is something you do for a living? A therapist or psychologist perhaps? Oh, but you're only 22, so I suppose that's too young to be a psychologist, although you may be a prodigy of some sort..."

"Yes and no. I'm no expert on mental health, but my job does require me to focus on analyzing details and connecting dots." You looked out the window. The sun was starting to go down, and only a sliver of its orange hues peeked out from the top of a nearby building. The looming darkness underneath that was untouched by the sun made you turn back around. "I guess you can say I'm a fan of puzzles. In a way, people are like puzzles, too. So many different characteristics can inhabit one body. It's interesting. Sort of like pages in a book."

"I'll admit, that is a unique way to think about life and the people living in the world. Your statement does intrigue me. I believe I can assume that a component of your job involves analyzing people. Such a talent might be useful to C&R. If you ever need a job, reach out to me."

"I'm honored, but you're avoiding the question, Jumin." You took a sip of your tea.

"If I answer, am I going to be rewarded? In other words, may I ask you a question in return?"

"I don't see why not. I don't know if it'd be much of a reward, though. I'm not an interesting person."

"Very well. Then..." He cleared his throat. "I must admit, you are correct. If we're using the puzzle analogy as an example, then I think I can safely say that emotions are a piece of my own puzzle that I have removed. Since I was a child, I have learned that life becomes much easier and clearer if you remove that complicated piece."

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple."

"So this is what you've done for years? And it's never failed you yet?"

"Precisely. That's also two more questions. I'll it to my tally if you're alright with it."

 _He's lying,_ you thought. _His reactions in the messenger show as much, but if he isn't willing to admit it, or if he doesn't want to acknowledge, it, then I won't push him. It's not my place._

"Well, if that's what works out for you, then I suppose who am I to judge?" You placed the mug to your lips but paused. Your eyes flickered back over to the window. "If you ever need to talk, though, then I'm just a phone call away."

"I appreciate that." Maybe his voice rose just a bit, but maybe it was just your imagination. "Now then. I believe you owe me three questions?"

"Hang on, let me move to the couch. I'm tired of standing."

"Very well."

You plopped down on a cushion. "Okay, I'm comfortable. Ask away."

"Three whole questions for the mysterious RFA member. What should I ask...?"

You smirked. "Is that one of them? There are no takebacks."

"Sure. Why not?" Jumin chuckled. "What do you think I should ask about you?"

"Ask me what my favorite food is."

"How random, yet very basic. Alright, (Y/N), what is your favorite food?"

You told him. 

"Hm... What an interesting cuisine.... I'll keep that in mind. That leaves me with one question, then."

You held your breath. The odds of it being about something from your past here or why you were about to leave the country were high, but Jumin surprised you with a different question.

"Do you feel safe?"

You coughed. "W-what?"

"Do you feel safe? At the apartment, I mean. I know the circumstances allowing us to meet aren't ideal. Although I believe that the other members mean well, I think we all focused too much on how the Hacker brought you here instead of making sure you are safe at the apartment."

Your eyes once again darted to the window. The sun was now gone, and the city's blazing lights were the only source of comfort against the pitch-black background. You should've closed the blinds before you sat down.

"(Y/N)?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Jumin." You tried to play it cool. "Your question threw me off-guard."

"No need to apologize. I'm sure you've had a long day. However..." Ever-so-slightly, his voice dropped to a calmer tone. "You haven't answered me."

Your finger traced the cup's edges. "Do you want me to be honest?"

"Of course."

"I don't feel safe, but I don't exactly _not_ feel safe."

"Pardon?" 

"One minute I'm about to be on a plane, and then the next, I'm tricked into joining a private charity organization that just so happens to come with free housing accommodations. I have a million unanswered questions, but at the same time, I feel like I can trust all of the RFA members I've spoken to so far. Heck, some of them are even starting to call me their friend." Your eyes drifted shut as you smiled. A warm sensation bloomed in your chest. "I haven't had any friends in a long, long time. It feels so nice."

"...You have a very welcoming personality, (Y/N). Although I'll admit that I was a little wary of you at the beginning of this conversation, I think that I can say that you've somehow removed some of my concerns. Perhaps not to the point of friendship, but certainly to where I can consider you an acquaintance."

You stifled a laugh. "Jumin, that's kind of you. I don't mean to rush or imply anything, though. Maybe we can become friends after we get to know each other a bit better."

"I look forward to our future conversations. However, your response regarding your safety is not exactly ideal. If you ever need help, or if you don't feel safe, please call me. Either through the app, or through my personal number. I can have guards sent to you in--Oh..." Jumin let out a long sigh. The sound of glass clinking against a table echoed through the phone. "I forgot I don't know where the apartment is. Perhaps I should ask V to reconsider his secrecy with this detail. Yes, I think I will. Surely he'll understand that your safety is a priority here. Truth be told, I'm not even sure why your location has to be a secret to us, anyway. I don't mean to question him, but out of everyone else, I would have thought that he'd be able to trust me with some of his secrets."

"Do you trust V?"

"Of course. He's been my best friend since childhood. He's an artist, so his views of the world often conflict with mine, but I feel like that just adds more color to our conversations." Jumin huffed. "Although I will admit, he has changed a lot since Rika's passed. He used to be a lot more active in the chatroom and with his job, but now it seems like we can only get in touch with him maybe for a few minutes every month. Whenever I ask what he's up to, he always says he's on a business trip somewhere in the mountains. I suppose that makes sense when you're a photographer, but still... I wonder if he gets lonely." His voice softened. "And his eyesight has severely worsened..."

"Is something wrong with his eyes?"

Jumin's voice grew distant. "Ah, I didn't mean to say that last part out loud. To answer your question, though, yes, he is nearly blind, I believe. All I know is that he was involved in some sort of accident. You'll have to forgive me for suddenly leaving. My father's assistant has now resorted to calling me instead of Assistant Kang. I think I'm going to turn my phone off for the rest of the night."

"No worries. Get some rest, Jumin."

"Goodnight, (Y/N). I enjoyed our conversation. Have a safe night."

And with that, Jumin ended the call. With a small smile on your face, you shook your head. He might claim that he hides away his emotions, but you had a feeling that he was perhaps one of the most caring members in the RFA. The others might disagree with you on that, though, but your intuition has yet to prove you wrong. You should never judge a book by its cover, as they say. 

You stretched your arms over your head. You hadn't done much today other than reply to guest emails and work on a few pages of your upcoming book, but you still felt exhausted. It only took you a few seconds to tip-toe over to the window where you hastily shut the blinds. Before leaving the living room, you made sure the front door was locked, clicked off the lights, and grabbed your phone and your laptop. Walking into the hallway, you waved at the not-so-secret camera just in case Seven was watching, and you threw your electronics onto your bed. It wasn't long after that when you had finished brushing your teeth and changed into your pajamas. Soon, the lights in the bedroom were off as well, and you were about to climb into bed when your phone rang. It was the same ringtone that you had set for the RFA messenger, so you didn't think much about it when you answered the call without looking to see who it was.

"Hm... Hello?" You yawned.

"Are you having fun?" A man you didn't recognize asked. Weird static sounds filled the other end of the call, making his voice sound distorted. 

"Huh? I can't hear you that well. Who is this?"

"You can't? Let me try something. Hold on."

Frowning, you pulled the phone away from your face to check the caller ID. When the bright screen lit up, your blood ran cold. 

Unknown. 

"Can you hear me now?" The static was still as prominent as ever. 

You gripped the bedsheets with your free hand. "What do you want?"

"Oh, my systems still say the sound quality is bad, but I guess it's good enough for you to understand me. Hello, (Y/N)." His voice was eerily polite. "Did you miss me?" 

"Unknown--"

"Is that what they're calling me? Geez..." He snorted. "That's just the automatic placement the messenger has for you if you don't type in a username. For someone with a supposed big brain, that redhead couldn't be less creative."

You tried to steady yourself. Your hand gripped the phone so hard that it was starting to hurt. "Why are you calling me?"

"To see how things are going in the RFA, of course. They're not the brightest people in the world, but they have so much potential. They seemed to like you..." His voice shifted to something darker. "Especially that gamer boy. Tell me, did you two have a nice lunch yesterday? I'm surprised that liar let you out of his apartment. I thought he'd keep you caged like a bird in order to keep his secrets."

"H-how did you--?"

"Believe it or not, it was just pure coincidence, actually. I just happened to be passing through that area when I saw you both at that restaurant. The poor boy looked so happy. It was probably his first time getting lunch with a girl, hahaha." His laugh was hollow. 

"I-I don't--"

"What? You think I'm lying? I would never lie to someone as important as you. Here, have a picture, then." Your phone dinged, but fear kept you from moving to check it. "I took it to show my Savior that you were doing well with your new role. She was quite pleased with how much progress you've made. Of course, when it's finally time to come get you, you'll have an even bigger role here. At paradise, where you'll never feel lonely again."

"Please, just stop..."

"We've gotten this far, though. How can I stop now, when things are just starting to finally unravel? Oh? What is--" A high-pitched screeching sound could be heard from the other end of the call. It only lasted for a few seconds before Unkown's voice returned. "Damn it...! How did he notice that soon? I made sure to cover my tracks before I connected this call. Ugh..."

"Are you talking about Luciel?"

"Luciel? Is that what you call him? Luciel?!" he growled. "Yes, I'm talking about _Luciel,_ that traitor. Who else? He thinks he's better than me, but he's no--" Another screech cut off Unknown's sentence. When his voice returned once more, he was cursing. 

"He's trying to disconnect my call. Is his security system really that strong...? Fine! Whatever. I'll let you go before he tries to trace it. A bit of advice though, hehehe." His voice lowered until it was a raspy whisper. What he said next was so quiet that you almost missed it due to the blaring static.

"Don't trust V," Unknown sang in a creepy voice. "He's a liar~! You'll see what I mean soon."

The call ended with a click. The phone's screen went dark.

The room was pitch black. The only sounds you could hear were the faint hums of electricity. 

You weren't sure how long you sat there, maybe it was only for a few seconds, or maybe it was a few minutes, but eventually, you found the strength to move your arm. Then you unlocked your phone and opened up the messenger app. You had one single unread text message, and it was a photo from Unknown. 

Although you were expecting it, it still hurt to see your smiling face as you took Yoosung's headphones from his outstretched hand. Empty bowls of udon were set aside. Although the picture was taken in an area that was clearly across the street from the restaurant, seeing yourself through that restaurant's windows made bile rise in your throat. 

He was that close to the two of you yesterday, and you didn't even notice.

How long was he there? If you hadn't let Yoosung walk you to the subway station, would he have...?

You didn't want to think about it. 

With shaky hands, you started to lock your phone when you got another call. The sound made you drop the device, but when you saw the caller ID, you hastily made a grab for it.

"Hello?" You choked on your words. "S-seven?"

"Hellooo~!" His cheerful voice greeted you. "I uh, hope I didn't wake you up. I saw my firewall for the messenger was acting up, so I wanted to know if you saw anything suspicious."

"It's... It's fine..."

"Huh? Are you... crying?" A chair squeaked in the background. "You're not in the hallway. Where are you? Are you safe? (Y/N)?"

"I'm in the b-bedroom." You swallowed back another sob and tried to steady your voice. You were scared, but you need to get these next few sentences out. For everyone's sake. "I got a call earlier. From Unknown."

 _"What?!"_ Frantic typing could be heard through the phone. "When? What did he say?"

"A... I'm not sure. Maybe a minute or so ago. He sent me a picture of Yoosung and me at the restaurant. And... and he seems to have something against you, Seven."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, this chapter ended up being longer than I planned.  
> If you enjoyed this, don't forget to leave kudos <3
> 
> Also, please note that although my fanfiction will include a combination of references to various routes for the purpose of a reverse harem, it does not and will not follow any storyline, nor will it have any of the game's endings. This is my idea of what things would be like if MC was more involved. So please don't assume that the story will go down one specific route. It's her story, therefore, it is her route. Thank you!


	6. Girl Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The RFA is concerned about their safety, as well as your own. There's only so much people can do to help, though. In order to distract yourself, you take up your publisher's offer and throw yourself into work.
> 
> TW: stalking. mentions of past emotionally-abusive relationship.

You didn't sleep much last night. 

After telling Seven everything you knew about Unknown, including his call, the photo, and how you suspected he knew who Seven was, the usually cheerful redhead was unnaturally serious. For the first time since you've moved here, you realized that there was much to the man beside his silly stories. Those jokes about him being a secret agent and going on missions no longer seemed like jokes. 

The phone call didn't last long after Seven got the information he needed. His demeanor changed back to his usual self when you poorly choked back a sob, and he quickly tried to assure you that you were safe. He promised that he would be watching the hallway camera and that if he saw anything wrong, he'd be there to help. After making sure that you wouldn't leave the apartment tonight, he quickly hung up. 

It was now the next morning. The smell of hot coffee drifted in every room of Rika's tiny apartment. Despite the fact that the weather forecast showed clear and sunny skies, all of the blinds were shut, and curtains were pulled closed. A single chair that you dragged from the bedroom was hooked under the front doorknob. 

Your cold fingers flew across the keyboard of your laptop as you tried to fight through your writer's block, but every so often, your eyes would land on your phone. It was on silent, but the screen still lit up every few seconds as another member of the RFA sent a message to the chatroom. To put it simply, you weren't the only one who wasn't doing too great after last night's events. The others only found out about half an hour ago, but their responses were repetitive and not exactly comfortable. Yoosung was freaking out over the picture and insisted that Unknown was a stalker, Jaehee wanted to call the police, Zen wanted to know what the hell was going on in the RFA, and Jumin and Seven were trying their best to calm everyone down. 

You frowned as you recalled how this morning's conversation went. Most of the members had calmed down after Jumin announced his plans to send all of them bodyguards. 

Keywords: Most of them.

 **Jumin Han:** If I knew your location, (Y/N), I'd send some to you.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Seven, please reconsider telling us the apartment address... We're worried. 

**Jumin Han:** My bodyguards have been with me for years. I trust them with my life. They will keep the location a secret. 

_**707 sent a crying emoji.** _

**707:** I'm sorry guys ;;; 

**707:** i can't tell you without V's permission... it's his apartment. 

**707:** i'm trying to get him to answer the phone... but all of his calls are going straight to voicemail TnT

 **Jumin Han:** I will call him. He'll understand why (Y/N) needs protection.

 **707:** I've been calling him since midnight... he's not answering... ;;;;

 **707:** V.... where r u? is the signal that bad in the mountains??? is now really the time to go and take pictures of trees and stuff :((

 **Y/N:** So... Am I safe here? 

**Y/N:** I'll be honest. I don't feel good about this... 

**707:** the apartment is safe! there's a code on the door, and a camera in the hallway !

 **Y/N:** Uh... Unknown is the one who sent me the code for this place, remember?

 **Yoosung:** omgggg you guys didn't change the code??

_**707 sent a crying emoji.** _

_**707 sent a crying emoji.** _

_**707 sent a crying emoji.** _

**Jaehee Kang:** Seven, now is not the time to spam the chatroom. Please do something about (Y/N)'s situation. 

**707:** we'll change it now!! right no!w!!! aaaA

 **707:** i'm so sorry (y/n) TnT

 **Zen:** This is unbelievable!

 **Zen:** are you out of your mind?! what the hell is your camera gonna do when unknown tries to take her or something??! WATCH IT HAPPEN?!

**_707 sent a crying emoji._ **

**707:** I don't like this either! okay!1? 

**707:** my hands are tied. im so sorry...

 **Jumin Han:** I suppose we'll have to trust that V will answer and resolve this situation soon. For now, it's best that we stay calm and trust that Seven will do his job.

 **Y/N:**...

 **Zen:** are you kidding me!?!? you wanna just wait for him to answer!??! who KNOWS how long that'll take!!

 **Zen:** we haven't heard from V in THREE DAYS! 

There wasn't much you said after that conversation. What could you say, anyway? That Zen had a point that your safety was being dismissed for the sake of keeping V's promise? That you were uncomfortable with the idea of just a camera and a change of the door code was enough? All of that had already been said by the others, and that argument ended with Jaehee suggesting you call the police if you felt unsafe. Although you didn't voice it, you really didn't want to do that unless you absolutely had to, though. If a police report was filed, then the case would be handed off to the detectives so that an investigation could take place, and out of everything crazy happening in your life right now, you _really_ didn't want to be interrogated by your ex, especially not in front of your new friends. 

Your stomach churned. Damn it, you didn't want to think about him right now. You left him behind with the house you both shared. _Used_ to share. 

If.

If you HAD to, you figured you could always leave the apartment and crash at a hotel. You had the money for it, but you didn't have a plan for what to do after that. Maybe you could grab another plane ticket and return to your hometown, but for some reason, that idea made you feel uncomfortable. 

Once again, you returned your attention to the keyboard and tried to distract yourself with your writing. Focus, (Y/N), focus. You're a best-selling author! A professional! Gifted with words! You could finish this chapter. You had to start it first, of course, but you could finish it! This is a happy moment in your book. The two main characters that had been pinning for each other since the beginning of this slow-burn _finally_ kissed. They're happy, the future readers will be happy, so you're happy! Think happy thoughts and write happy thoughts. Just write them. Just...

Your phone's screen lit up, stealing your attention once more. It was another notification from the RFA chatroom.

With a sharp inhale, you slammed your laptop shut. Your tired brain craved a break from thinking, but you weren't sure how you could appease it. A nap? You were too jittery from the coffee to relax. A walk? You didn't know the city that well, and it was a bit too cold for that. Plus, you were still exhausted from last night's events. What could you do, then? 

You closed your eyes and thought back to the groceries you grabbed yesterday. Most of it was microwavable food and snacks, but did you remember to grab...?

Yes, yes you did!

Feeling excited, you jumped up from the couch and ran towards the fridge. There, on the top section of the freezer, was a pint of your favorite ice cream. You eagerly scooped it up and grabbed a spoon from a nearby drawer before retreating to the couch. 

The media may claim that the mysterious author behind some of the best-selling novels must be an elegant and refined lady of high tastes who drew inspiration from fine art and luxurious trips, but in all honesty, you didn't do any of those. That was part of why you tried your best to stay out of the spotlight. You were just a simple person at heart. Small things like ice cream made you happy and inspired you to write scenes that carried the same feeling with them.

You lifted the spoon into your mouth and closed your eyes. Without looking at it, you tried your best to convey the flavor into words. This tiny trick helped you out of writer's blocks before, so you hoped it'd do the same today.

Ice cream was cold but sweet. Much like the kiss the two characters in your story just had out in the snow. 

The texture of the treat was initially somewhat stiff from being in the freezer so long, but as it melted in your mouth, it softened. This was similar to the ice that clung to the lovers' clothes as they took shelter in a nearby bustling cavern. The welcoming heat from the flames would have melted off the ice, and as they approached the bar, they would find...

Your eyes lit up.

Bingo. 

Feeling inspired and full of energy, you quickly pulled out your laptop and began typing. The next chapter for your upcoming novel flowed beautifully onto the blank document you opened. Last night's events were buried under layers of story scenarios that occupied your thoughts. You were so absorbed in your work that you didn't even acknowledge your phone as the hours ticked by. It wasn't until you got an email notification from your publisher that you paused. 

_Call me now._

_-Joy_

Taking your time to wake up your body, you stretched your arms over your head and gazed at the clock. It was well past noon, which meant you accidentally skipped lunch. Again. The pint of ice cream was long gone. The empty cup laid discarded by your feet from where you had accidentally knocked it over.

Your lovely publisher was rarely a woman who had few things to say to you, so you leaned over your laptop to grab your phone, which had finally calmed down. There were a ton of messages that you had missed from the chatroom, but even as you quickly scrolled through them, you didn't see anything major. Everyone had somewhat calmed down except Seven, who was flipping back and forth between telling jokes and apologizing. Jaehee and Jumin had left soon after you did due to some sort of business event. Yoosung was talking about how people were gonna think he was some sort of celebrity with all of the security guards around, and Zen apparently decided that this was a good time to announce that he was going to turn down the musical part since he got injured. 

While dialing your publisher, you decided to send Zen a quick message. 

**Y/N:** i just saw that chatroom. are you okay? 

**Zen:** Oh hey! i'm fine lol. just a sprained ankle. are you okay, though?! you kind of disappeared earlier.

 **Zen:** Not that I can blame you...

 **Y/N:** I'm fine! I've just been working.

 **Zen:** Working? where do you work?

Before you could reply back, Joy answered the call.

"(Y/N), darling!" She sang, her voice dripping with honey. "How is my favorite client who promised me a completed story by the end of the month doing?"

You snorted. "She was eating ice cream and working, but now she's on the phone with someone who obviously wants something."

"Oooh, you authors! You read me like a book. Can't hide anything from you, can I? Lucky for you, I'm also a fan of getting straight to the point." The sound of long fingernails tapping echoed through the phone. "I'm calling because I know you, and I'm going to salvage this evening before you ruin it and make us look like fools."

"Does it involve more ice cream?"

"If the invitation I'm reading is correct, then it does."

"I'm interested..."

Joy sighed dropped the fake cheerful tone. "Darling, please. Please tell me you remembered your schedule for this week, and please tell me you are getting ready."

"My dear publisher," you hummed. "You know I can't lie to you."

"Ughhhhh.... If you weren't one of my best, I'd fire you, you know? It'd save me a headache. Lucky for you, I'm always prepared for times like these, so I called ahead to this boutique that's in the city you said you're staying in and booked an emergency fitting appointment. I don't care what you pick as long as it's professional and will last through the night. You're paying for it. Not me! Also, since I'm such a wonderful person, I double-checked today that photography will be kept to a minimum. This is a large event that the CEO and the Chairman himself will be at, so I can't make any promises that the media won't go crazy with whatever they can get their hands on, especially since the Chairman is bringing his new girlfriend to the party. She's a movie actress named Glam--"

"Whoa whoa. You haven't even told me what this is."

"Do you really not remember? We talked about this two days ago, (Y/N)." Her voice softened. "Oh, but I know it's been rough for you lately. And once again, I hope you're doing better now. However, this event is super important, and it really will help my company boost sales if we show off our best-selling authors. You don't have to stay for the whole thing - just showing up and representing us will be enough."

"What is it, Joy?"

"It's a banquet, erm, more like an official celebratory party, really, that's being hosted by C&R as a thank you to their departments for their work. Since my publishing company has a contract with their retail department, they invited our best authors, which includes you."

Two familiar names popped into your mind. "Huh... Interesting."

"Interesting? Interesting, she says, as if this event hasn't been in her schedule and in her email remainders for the past few weeks..." Joy grumbled. "You're going through, right?"

You glanced up at the chair that blocked the apartment's front door. Earlier, you couldn't imagine leaving the apartment. Now, though, you felt the opposite. 

"Yeah. I'll go. Thanks for looking out for me, Joy. I'll have to pay you back sometime."

"Pay me back with money in sales, darling. Now get to it! You only have a few hours before it starts, and it's rude to be late."

*******

It was freezing outside by the time you arrived at the banquet, which was being hosted in a hotel's reception room. Since you didn't have a car, you had to take the bus to the boutique to get a dress, and then you had to take the subway to the hotel since it was about an hour away from where Rika's apartment was. The thin dress did little to protect you from the cold, and the wind badly tangled your hair. Some people gave you odd looks as you stepped into the fancy hotel, but you paid them no mind as you asked the receptionist where the nearest bathroom was. Lucky for you, there was one located near the lobby, so you had time to try to fix your hair before the main event actually started. 

You didn't have a brush in your purse, so you had to use your fingers to smooth your hair out to the best of your abilities. However, the more you struggled, the more you wanted to give up. The brightly-lit mirrors were there to enhance the viewer's best features, but if anything, you felt like it just amplified your worst flaws. Every bump, every crease, everything that you didn't really like or wished you could change. You slowly stopped brushing your hair and stared at your reflection. An old conversation with your ex resurfaced in your thoughts.

_I don't even know why your publisher wants your picture on the back of your dumb book. What is she thinking? You're not even attractive._

_Have you been in bed all day? You reek. Go take a shower, and wash your hair. It's so oily._

_Don't even bother with makeup. It just makes you look worse._

You stared at your reflection.

Without dropping your gaze, you cautiously moved your hand towards your purse and opened it. When you pulled it back, a small tube of cherry-flavored chapstick was in your hand. You always carried chapstick around with you because of the dry air, but this one was tinted red. It was the closest thing to makeup that you owned. It had never been used. Although it was a gift from your publisher, you panicked when you realized the lip balm left color behind and quickly stored it at the bottom of your purse.

_It just makes you look worse._

Your lips folded slightly under the pressure of the lip balm as you applied it. Although it wasn't anything eye-catching, there was a subtle change in the color. It was just enough to make your lips look more lively and youthful. 

When you finished, you couldn't help but continue to stare at your reflection. The woman in the mirror no longer looked like the anxious and tired lady you had grown accustomed to seeing. No. Her eyes stared back with curiosity and realization.

"I look... pretty," you whispered, the last word was nearly inaudible. "That's... me, and I... I like myself. The pretty girl is me, and I like myself."

Unfortunately, the moment of self-love ended quickly after the bathroom door suddenly swung open. A woman with short brown hair and glasses quietly but quickly closed the door behind her and sighed, as if she was already exhausted, despite the fact that the party was just now starting. Her outfit was one that was strictly professional: black pumps, black hosiery, black pencil skirt, and a black business jacket over a white dress shirt. When she finally looked up, your eyes both met, and you instantly knew who she was.

"O-oh, hello there." She smiled, although it was a little forced. "You must be a guest from the C&R banquet. My apologies for my abrupt entrance -- I thought the lobby bathroom would be empty since most of the events are taking place in the Great Hall. The Chairman should be making his welcoming speech soon, so I'd recommend you hurry back before the event truly starts."

"Jaehee Kang?" You asked, and her eyes lit up when you spoke. 

"(Y/N)? Is that really you? Oh, what am I saying? I'd recognize that sweet voice from anywhere!" Her pumps clicked against the floor as she eagerly joined you by the mirror. She clasped her hands together. "I can't believe we got to meet so unexpectedly like this. Especially now! What in the world are you doing here, (Y/N)? Are you an employee as well? Come to think of it... I don't think anyone has ever asked you about your occupation."

"One question at a time, Jaehee!" you laughed. Her enthusiasm was so contagious that you were grinning as well. "I'm not an employee of C&R, but I am affiliated with one of their departments with my publisher. I think she has a contract with them to help sell my books in some of their bookstores."

"Oh! So you must be a writer, correct? What a wonderful profession to be in. You know, I could guess from our phone calls that you had an artistic soul." She beamed. When your eyes met once more, she turned her head to the side and cleared her throat. "My apologies if I seem a bit overzealous. I just can't believe that I'm finally meeting the woman who encourages me every day. You have no idea what a blessing our little talks are. They truly give me more energy than coffee, especially when I'm dealing with another one of Mr. Han's cat projects."

"I'm flattered, but the same goes for you too, Jaehee! And I have to say that I absolutely love what you're wearing. You look so cute!"

"C-cute?" She stammered. Her brown eyes blinked at you for a moment before she once again looked away shyly. "Hah... I'm not usually the type who receives compliments like that. I think an adjective like that would better suit someone like you, actually. Especially with how you're dressed now." She gestured towards your outfit, which consisted of a simple navy blue halter dress and black heels. "You'll certainly fit in with the other guests out there. You might even be mistaken for a celebrity."

You took her hand and gave her a smile. "Jaehee, you are too kind. We should get coffee sometime. Just let me know when you're off work. My schedule is pretty flexible."

"I'd love nothing more." She gently squeezed your hand. "I know I had my doubts about you earlier, but now that we've met in person, I think I can safely say that you're a good person. I knew as much already from our phone calls, but now, I believe that you're a dear friend to me, (Y/N)."

Before you could reply back, the bathroom door opened once more, and a woman wearing a black dress that must've cost a fortune walked in.

"Did that plain little secretary come in here? Oh! I was right. Hello again." The woman with brown hair waved. Her gold earrings twinkled when she turned her head to the side. "Sarah! I found her."

"Really? I'm coming Glam!" Another woman with long magenta hair peeked in. Her brown eyes narrowed when they landed on Jaehee. 

"There you are! Why did you run off, Assistant Kang?" Sarah asked as she slithered into the bathroom. "I just wanted to ask my fiance's secretary a few questions."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm sorry that this is late! A lot has been going on lately, and my attention has been elsewhere.  
> I just wanted to say thank you for commenting on my chapters and for encouraging me to keep writing. Your words make me smile every time, and I hope my story does the same for you all as well.  
> My updating schedule will have to change, though. Instead of updating every Tuesday, I will just try to update a few times a month, hopefully still weekly. There's a lot of big changes going on in my life right now, and I need some time to adjust before I can return to a regular updating schedule. I will see this story through to the end, though. I think in total this story will only have maybe 10-12 chapters, but that depends on some things that I'm still deciding on. In the meantime, feel free to guess who the MC will end up with at the end ^^  
> Once again, thank you all for your support!


	7. Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The C&R party isn't as extravagant as you thought it would be. At least you got to meet Jumin.

Sarah and Glam stood in front of the bathroom's entrance, trapping you and Jaehee inside. You had no idea what's going on -- you didn't even know Jumin was engaged -- but you do know that Jaehee suddenly flinched when Sarah's brown eyes landed on her. 

"We've been looking all over for you, Assistant Kang!"

"We tried calling your name when you were back in the main hall." Glam's gold earrings dazzled in the light as she took a step forward. Her shiny red lips were pulled into a smirk. "You must not have heard us, even though you looked right in our direction earlier before sprinting out."

Jaehee paled. "M-my mistake. I was--"

"She was helping me with my hair," you interrupted. You moved to Jaehee's side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "The wind outside is pretty brutal tonight."

Glam's brown eyes flickered from your outfit to your hair. She shrugged and cocked her head to the side. "Well, I see what you mean. I hope Jaehee can do it justice."

You raised an eyebrow. "It's already fixed."

"In that case, then I think your hair goes well with the rest of your... outfit, hehe." Glam clapped her hands together and flashed a bright smile. "Anyway, we just wanted to ask Jaehee a few simple questions regarding her boss. I'm sure you've heard of Jumin Han, the CEO of C&R?"

"He's my fiance," Sarah giggled. Her purple ball gown was so big that it took up most of the space in the bathroom, and the sweetheart neckline clung so tightly to her breasts that you scared they were going to pop out. 

"Congratulations, then," you said, sounding only slightly confused. Jaehee snapped her head in your direction to say something, but she quickly bit her tongue when Sarah let out another giggle and thanked you. 

"What sort of questions do you have for me?" Jaehee asked, caution in her voice.

"Just two, actually," Glam hummed, and the corner of her red lips hitched up. "Sarah and Jumin are very much in love with each other. That's part of why this marriage was arranged. However, we both know how hard is it to tame the strong heart of a man. A man with needs, that is." She crossed her arms. "So I'll just go ahead and ask. Are you in any sort of emotional or physical relationship with Jumin?"

Jaehee made a face of disgust. "My boss can't even stand the sound of my voice, much less my presence if that answers your question."

"Good, good. One last question: is Jumin seeing anyone other than my dear and lovely student, Sarah Choi?"

"The only living creature on this planet that Mr. Han cares for is his cat."

"Ugh, a cat? Gross." Sarah gagged. "I can't stand cats. They get hair everywhere, and they shred everything to pieces. I don't know what I'd do if they ruined my outfits."

"Tape is very useful for getting cat hair out of clothes," Jaehee said. "Or lint rollers. I always keep one of the two on me."

Sarah balked. "What?"

"We got our questions answered, Sarah," Glam said, her heels clicking on the tile as she walked towards the door. "Come along, now. I don't want to make my dear lover miss me for a second more, and you should do the same. Jumin's been hiding in the crowd since he got here. Go find your future husband, and help him relax."

"Yes, Glam!" Sarah gave you both one more condescending look before flinging her magenta hair over her shoulder. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving you and Jaehee in stunned silence. 

"Well, they must be fun at parties. What in the world was up with them?" You turned your head towards the sound of water running, only to find Jaehee splashing the cool liquid in her face. Her glasses fell off of her head and clattered on the floor. 

"Whoa! Hey, Jaehee, what's wrong? You're gonna break your glasses if you aren't careful." You picked them up and used the end of your dress to wipe away the smudges off of the lenses. "We can't have you running around blind tonight, you know."

"They're not even prescription," Jaehee sighed, frowning at the mirror. "They're just cosmetic. Part of the requirements for working as Jumin Han's assistant, along with cutting off most of my hair and never wearing makeup to work."

You coughed. "Uh, what? That's--"

"Insane? I know." She gave you a sad smile. "But when I first came here, I was just happy to have a well-paying job straight out of college. Especially one that was at such a big company."

"Those aren't really normal dress code rules for employees." You shook your head. "I don't know how you do it. Should we talk to Jumin about reconsidering some of them? You're an amazing worker, Jaehee. He should consider himself lucky to have you as an employee."

She waved off your concerns. "My current situation is something I've adapted to, and I consider myself blessed to have financial security. Besides, I don't want to get in trouble with my boss."

"Do you see yourself doing this forever, though?"

"..." Jaehee dropped her gaze. "...To be honest, I hope I don't have to. I'm a hard-worker, that's for sure, but I've never had any ambitions for myself. I hope that will change one day. But um..." She suddenly looked nervous. "Please don't tell Mr. Han I said that. Or anyone, for that matter."

You grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it. "I won't. I promise. But whatever you decide to do in the future, know that I'll support you."

"T-thank you," Jaehee stuttered, her cheeks flushed pink.

"No problem! But uh..." You gestured towards the door. "What's going on with those women?"

She took her glasses from your hand and slid them onto her face. "It's a mess, (Y/N). The Chairman is dating that woman you saw earlier. The one with the brown hair and black mermaid dress? She's a movie star named Glam Choi. You've probably seen some of her work."

"I haven't," you admitted. Jaehee continued. 

"Well, the other woman with her is her student, Sarah Choi. Sarah owns a business that Glam wants the Chairman to buy. However, she offered a very old-fashioned deal to him. If he could agree to an arranged marriage for Mr. Han and Sarah, then Sarah would sell her business for a cheaper price."

"That's ridiculous."

"Mr. Han would agree with you. He wants nothing to do with this marriage, but the media and everyone around us are acting as though they are actually engaged. Truth be told, I'm not sure if they are or not at this point," she sighed. "Remember Mr. Han's messages from last night? He wanted me to book his tickets to a resort for today. I guess it was so that he could avoid being around his father and those women. Unfortunately, the Chairman found out soon after, and everything was canceled. Mr. Han has been avoiding everyone all day, and today's banquet is no exception."

"Should we try to talk to him?"

"Who?"

"Jumin."

Jaehee frowned. "You're very kind, (Y/N), but I don't think you understand that Mr. Han does not quite think like the rest of us. He doesn't exactly become upset or angry. He's just... Robotic. I wasn't kidding earlier when I said the only creature he cares for in this world is his cat. I've tried several times to reach him last night and today, and he's ignored all of my calls. If I'm lucky, I get a text message from him with a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer."

"I know I don't know him very well, but everyone has feelings, Jaehee. I know I wouldn't be happy in his situation."

"If he has them, he's never shown them."

"That's not true!" you argued, surprising her with your sudden energy. "He sent everyone bodyguards after Unknown hacked the chatroom, didn't he? I mean, even this place is swarming with security."

"That's.. You're not wrong, I suppose..."

"You do know him better than I do, though." You bit your lip. "I still feel like I should at least try to talk to him today. He seemed really... guarded with his emotions during our phone call last night."

"You talked to Mr. Han last night?" Jaehee's eyes widened. "I saw the chat room, but I didn't think he'd actually answer your call."

"To be fair, he thought it was just for business stuff related to the RFA parties. I don't think he would've answered if he knew I just wanted to check in with him."

"Even so, the RFA is just a charity organization. Mr. Han ignored all of my calls regarding his actual job, (Y/N)," Jaehee said. She rubbed her chin in thought. "If he answered your call, then maybe you'll have more luck than I did. I don't want you to get your hopes up, though. I'd hate to see you disappointed."

You smiled. "I'm a big girl, Jaehee. I can have a simple conversation."

"Any conversation with Mr. Han is not simple..." She looked up at you. "But I believe you. If he's rude to you or ignores you, please don't take it personally. His emotions are usually neutral, but I think he's become a bit unpredictable lately. I'm a bit worried about him."

"I won't." You walked towards the door and held it open for her. "Should we head out, then?"

"Yes. I have to finish greeting the guests. Good luck, (Y/N). I hope we can talk more later."

*******

The party had just started when you and Jaehee entered the main hall. The clean marble floor reflected the light of the chandeliers hanging above. Classical music from the live orchestra softly played, and it was just barely loud enough to hear over the chattering crowd. Men and women dressed in their finest suits and gowns drifted from every angle of the room, dropping names, clinking wine glasses, and exchanging pleasantries. A few eyes wandered in your direction, but after seeing that you weren't wearing anything of great value, they quickly landed on the next closest fancy person.

Your publisher had told you this was just a gratuity banquet to the departments of C&R and those who had done particularly well in sales the following year. Even though you technically qualified for one of those categories, you still felt out of place. Maybe it was your simple blue halter dress that made you feel insecure, or maybe it was just your social anxiety. Either way, when Jaehee apologized to you for having to leave you so that way she could go and do her job, you felt pretty alone. Why did your publisher think that this was a good idea? Despite your success, you rarely did public appearances, and when you did do them, you usually stood in the corner of the room until it was your time to, well, do something else. 

Somehow, your brilliant brain decided it would be a good idea to roam through the crowd. You weren't particularly hungry, but you were bored enough to try to find something to eat or drink. At least that could give you something to do with your frigidity hands until you found either Jumin or Jaehee again. 

The sound of laughter made you turn your head to the side. There, you could see Glam Choi sitting at a table on the stage. The older man in the suit next to her smiled when she laughed, and you watched as he squeezed her hand fondly. Although you rarely kept up with celebrities and the people of high-class society, everyone knew who the Chairman was. The Chairman himself looked absolutely infatuated with Glam, but something about her posture seemed stiff to you, especially when he moved his hand to her shoulder. Maybe it was just your imagination, though. 

You turned your head back just in time to see Glam race by you, her big, sparkly ballgown flying behind her. She was in such as rush that she nearly ran into the dark-haired man standing at the table in front of you, but luckily she just barely missed him. Sarah quickly joined the couple on stage just in time for an impromptu photo shoot. Despite the fact that Joy had promised you photography would be kept to a minimum, there were quite a few reporters present. Luckily, they seemed more focused on the people on stage.

You shook your head and directed your attention towards the table in front of you. A white table cloth with delicate lace rested under the glass plates of very fancy snacks. In the center of the table was a tray of wine glasses filled to the brim with what you could only assume to be red wine. The tall man next to you was staring at the glasses, his dark hair covering his eyes. You paid him little attention as your mind blanked at the sight of the various tiny desserts. Delicate cakes made of strawberries and whipped cream contrasted brightly compared to the dark cups of chocolate and caramel parfait. You wanted to try both of the flavors right then and there, but would that be a rude thing to do at a party like this? You weren't sure, so instead of making a decision, you just stood there, looking dumbstruck. You might've stayed like that for a few minutes if the man next to you didn't suddenly speak. 

"Cat-shaped wine glasses," he said in a cool, oddly-familiar voice. 

"I beg your pardon?"

"Cat-shaped wine glasses are what I requested to be served to guests at this party, but unfortunately, my assistant couldn't find anything of the sort. What a tragedy. Perhaps I should take the matter into my own hands and dedicate a team towards designing something of the like." The man lifted his head to face you. One of his hands brushed his dark bangs out of his face, and you instantly recognized the CEO of C&R. "Wouldn't you agree that's an item worth investing in?"

"I think that would definitely be popular among fellow cat lovers," you admitted, meeting his eyes. The gray color in them reminded you of a storm. "But maybe you shouldn't just limit yourself to cat-shaped wine glasses."

"Perhaps." He contemplated. "What do you recommend?"

"There's only so much you can do with a wine glass, especially since they are so small and fragile. What if you took things a step further in the same direction." You tapped your chin. "How about cat-shaped wine bottles? The larger size provides more room for the artists to work with, and you could devote a different cat breed to each type of wine."

Jumin stared at you. Despite the height difference, you held your gaze as well. There was something mesmerizing about his eyes that you couldn't quite place your finger on. The emphatic in you wondered what was behind that figurative wall he had created to shield his true emotions from the outside world. Maybe he was staring because he was wondering the same about you, but you had no idea why. You really weren't anyone special. Just another heartbroken artist. 

A few seconds went by before he ever-so-slightly nodded his head. 

"What a whimsical design." He said, reaching over the table to grab a glass of wine. "I think I like that more than my original idea. That doesn't happen very often, you know."

You smiled and finally grabbed a plate of one of the desserts. "Glad I could be of help."

For a few more moments, the two of you just stood there by the table, quietly observing the rest of the party members. Most of the guests were focused on either themselves or the trio on stage, so none of them paid any mind to your tiny table that sat in the corner of the room. You took a bite of your dessert and beamed. It tasted heavenly.

"You know, most people enjoy the main course before diving into the desserts."

"I'm not sure when dinner will be served, nor whether or not I'll be here when it happens, so this might actually end up being my last meal for the night. I guess that depends on what time I get home."

A corner of Jumin's mouth slightly dropped. "I see. Although I wouldn't say these are particularly nutritional, I suppose I won't stop you."

"Thank you."

Another minute of silence went by. The camera flashes were still going strong, but you didn't mind that much. At least they weren't in your direction.

"May I ask you something?" 

A playful smirk grew on your lips. "I think you just did."

Jumin paused, but then he let out a small chuckle. His eyes seemed softer when he opened them again. "Fair enough. May I ask you three questions, then?"

"You may. You have two questions now."

"This party is only available to those who are affiliated with C&R. What department, exactly, are you representing tonight?"

"I suppose something in the retail area. My publisher has some sort of contract with them to help me sell my books." You eyed the chandeliers. "I guess my books sold well enough to where I was invited to attend."

"Hm." Jumin swirled the wine in his glass. "My last question, then."

"Go ahead."

To your surprise, Jumin slowly leaned down to your eye level. His tone was suddenly serious. 

"How long are you going to pretend you don't know me, (Y/N)? I may not have known what you look like, but I recognized your voice from the moment we conversed." 

Despite his stormy gaze, you let out a small chuckle. "I wasn't pretending, Jumin. I just wasn't sure if you wanted to talk to me tonight."

His brow furrowed, and he straightened up. "Why wouldn't I want to talk to you? You're a member of the RFA."

"True, but you're working right now. And I'm not exactly anyone important."

"Nonsense. I already established during our phone call that you are a dear acquaintance of mine. This party is full of people who don't understand the art of cat-shaped wine glasses."

"I'm one of those people who were invited tonight, Jumin."

He scoffed. "You're not like them, though. I can already tell as much."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is not one. It is simply a fact, but you may take it however you wish."

"Alright, then." 

You started to reach for a glass of wine, but Jumin was quicker, and he soon handed placed one in your hand.

"It's one of my favorite brands. You should be able to taste a hint of dark chocolate mixed with the wine. A perfect flavor that suits these desserts."

"Thank you," you said, only slightly flushing. 

"You are most welcomed." Jumin took a sip of his own, and then he paused. "You never told me you're a writer, much less than the fact you apparently work under one of my departments."

"Technically, my publisher does, not me. Besides that, you never asked about my work. In fact, I don't think anyone has."

"Really?" His brow quirked. "The chatroom hasn't been this lively in years. I figured everyone was spending their free time trying to find out as much about you as possible."

"To be fair, I think we've all been distracted lately."

"How so?"

You blinked at his neutral expression. "Well, there's Unknown being himself, of course."

"Luciel will handle it."

"Zen had an audition with Echo Girl, but he apparently had to give it up because of his injury."

"He heals fast. He'll be back on the stage sooner than you think."

You stared at him. Jumin was casually dismissing everything you had mentioned earlier, which was very odd. Even last night, he was concerned over Unknown and the RFA's safety, but now he sounded... Different. Too calm. 

"Jaehee's worried about you," you blurted. "I'm worried about you, too."

"Neither of you should be. I'm fine." Jumin didn't even hesitate. 

"Maybe that's true, but uh..." You watched as he cooly sipped his wine. "How long have you been engaged to Sarah Choi?"

You flinched with Jumin quickly downed the rest of his drink, the dark red liquid in the glass disappearing into his mouth at lightning speed. 

"J-Jumin?"

"Forgive me," he said, his voice a little too forceful. He grabbed another glass of wine. "This is not a topic I was expecting you to bring up, nor is it one that I wish to discuss tonight."

"We don't have to talk about it. I'm sorry for upsetting you." 

"There's nothing you need to apologize for." He turned his head to the side, and you followed his gaze. Your eyes landed on the Chairman, who was blushing while Glam placed a small kiss on his cheek.

"This is just a familial and, unfortunately, a company issue as well." He sighed and started to raise the glass to his mouth again, but after noticing you watching, he slowly set the wine down. He looked a bit shameful when he spoke. "Since you are a member of the RFA, I will say that Sarah Choi and I are not engaged. This is something my father and his current girlfriend want me to do, but they cannot force me into a legal binding with that woman. Not only will it ruin the name of C&R, but it will also ruin me."

_"Jumin~!"_

You flinched when Sarah suddenly appeared behind him, her longer glittery fingernails flashing as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She leaned into him, her head resting near his neck but Jumin paid her no mind as he once again downed the glass of wine in his hand. Whatever progress you had made with him was now gone. 

"Where have you been all night?" She cooed, her high-pitched voice heavy with neediness. "Your father and I have been looking everywhere for you."

"I'd be significantly more comfortable if you removed yourself from me right now."

"O-oh." She stiffened but quickly obeyed. Her smile faltered, and you watched her struggle to maintain it. "I-I understand. Public displays of affection must not be your thing. That's okay! I can hold myself back for my fiance's sake."

"You are delusional if you think for a moment that we are truly engaged," he said, straightening his black tie. "Regardless of what your teacher has said to my father, marriage and business are not partners in this industry, and I cannot be forced to be with a woman whose screeching voice gives me constant migraines. In all honesty, I'm not even sure why the CEO of a failing business like yourself was invited to this party. It's disgraceful."

Your hand covered your mouth in shock as you watched tears begin to form in Sarah's eyes. Jumin ignored both of you as he turned back to the table and grabbed another glass. Whatever was going on here was much, much more complicated than you originally thought. 

"J-Jumin..." Sarah sobbed, her mascara starting to run. The sound of her crying voice began to draw attention, and to your horror, the photographers were high-tailing it down from the stage to reach your trio. From the stage, the Chairman looked at Jumin with a disapproving gaze, while Glam seemed infuriated. Her eyes weren't trained on Jumin, though. They were focused on the woman who was dramatically clutching her chest as if Jumin's harsh words had physically shot through her. When the Chairman turned to say something to his girlfriend, the actress's expression immediately changed to one of somber. 

You bit your lip. Years of writing and living with a detective had given you better observational skills, and although you didn't want to jump to any conclusions, this was certainly an interesting scene.

_Very interesting indeed..._

A camera flash snapped you out of your thoughts, and your heart stopped. Thankfully, Jumin's tall body shielded you from the photographers, but you still tried to move towards the other end of the table. The last thing the media needed to see was you conveniently standing next to a rich man whose fiance was wailing as loud as a banshee. 

"Mr. Han! Do you have anything to say about your upcoming marriage?" 

"Excuse me, Mr. Han! Can you explain to the public why your fiance is crying?"

The CEO of C&R was as stoic as ever when he spoke to the reporters. "I have no comment regarding Sarah other than the fact that there will be no wedding. That is all."

Unfortunately, that simple sentence only seemed to add more fuel to the fire. The sound of cameras clicking almost overwhelmed the excited chattering in the room. Party guests wearing all sorts of expressions stared down and judged Jumin and Sarah with hungry eyes. You swallowed and bitterly remembered why you tried your best to stay out of the spotlight. Thank goodness your publisher was a greedy but smart angel who didn't care how much you wanted to avoid the public eye as long as your writing made her money. 

"Miss Choi! You seem to be in distress. Did Mr. Han upset you today?"

Sarah let out another sob. "Y-yes, but please don't write cruel things about him. I think he's just having a hard time right now. But maybe..." She blinked back tears and looked towards the CEO, who was watching her with a blank expression. "M-maybe, if he just gave me a small compliment about my appearance, or if he told me he loved me, I'd feel better for the rest of the night."

Even though you were now standing in the crowd, you held your breath as all eyes fell to Jumin. Jumin Han, the man in the expensive black suit, neatly combed hair, and darkening gray eyes calmly took another slow sip from his third glass of wine. His smooth, deep voice didn't falter once as he spoke to not the reporters, but to the woman who was clutching him not so long ago. 

"I am an honest businessman, Sarah. Not a lying one. Now, everyone, please enjoy the rest of your evening. Excuse me."

If you thought the crowd was wild earlier, that was nothing compared to the chaos it became now. Sarah seemed to faint, and several people rushed to catch her before she hit the ground. Jumin quickly walked through the parting crowd opposite of your direction. Jaehee was near the back of the hall, and she tried to say something to him but he ignored her and disappeared behind the back door. The poor assistant caught your gaze and gave you a sad look before shaking her head no. On the other side of the room, the Chairman was standing and shouting something, and Glam was trying to calm him down, but she seemed to be angry as well. Everyone had taken their phones out to record, stream, and text about the latest gossip that had just occurred, and you watched as a reporter with a microphone started to talk towards the cameraman, who was wearing a jacket with a logo from a celebrity news channel. 

This was too much for you. 

Too much talking, too much crying, too many people, too many lights...

Too much, too much, too much. 

Jumin clearly wanted to be alone, and Jaehee had disappeared again in the crowd, most likely to do damage control. You blindly started walking in a direction, unsure of what to do now since it seemed unlikely things would be returning to normal tonight. You had tried your best to avoid as many cameras and phones as possible, but it was becoming increasingly harder. If one of these photos got out to the public, and it somehow reached the detective agency, then your ex would know where you--

No. 

No no no no _no._

He would not find you. He would not. You had tried so, so hard to make it this far. You were NOT going back. 

The cold and painful kick of fear in your heart was enough to force you to run through the crowd, dodging the swirls of delicate dresses and neatly-pressed suits that belonged to the guests who were still excitedly wandering around and chatting. Few people noticed you as you swung open one of the large and perfectly carved doors and dashed out of the room. The lights and noise of the chaotic party grew faint as your heels clicked against the floor and you entered a dark hallway. You didn't stop there, though. The adrenaline was too much for you to handle right now, and you needed to be somewhere quiet. You blindly turned down another hallway and threw open another door, which revealed a set of stairs that led up. You vaguely remembered from Joy's instructions that this building had ten floors. The party was taking place on the ninth, and the tenth being used as nothing more than storage. A room full of extra chairs and tables sounded like Heaven compared to the idea of being found by your ex-boyfriend. Despite your aching feet, you sprinted up the dark stairs and silently hoped that you wouldn't trip. 

You were worried about Jumin and Jaehee. Very, very worried. 

But right now, you just needed a moment for yourself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another chapter! Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to comment and give kudos if you enjoy ^^
> 
> I want to try to write chapters where MC gets to spend almost equal amounts of time with all of the characters, but there's only so much I can do. Jumin, 707, V, and Saeran and are really complex and need time to open up (yes! they are all included in this reverse harem story, too!). I wanted to focus more on Jaehee, but she's so dedicated to her job right now that I think that may take more priority over hanging out with MC. At least, that's how it is for now.


	8. Go Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The C&R banquet is out of control. You just wanted a moment to be alone, but then you get another text message. 
> 
> TW: stalking

When you saw the man's dark silhouette standing near the window, fearful thoughts of your ex somehow finding you nearly made you run back down the stairs. 

Then the man turned to his side to see who entered the room, and when the moonlight illuminated his stormy gray eyes, you immediately felt at ease. 

"Jumin?"

"Hello, (Y/N)." His words sounded forced. 

"What are you doing up here?"

"I believe you can guess."

"Yeah. I'm... I'm sorry. Are you... Are you alright?"

"Hm."

"Do... do you want to--"

"Talk about it? No, I do not."

"Okay."

Silence. 

"Can I... Stay here with you for a few minutes?"

More silence. You fidgeted. 

His head moved just barely a centimeter down before jumping back up. You exhaled. 

Slowly, you approached him by the window, and Jumin silently moved aside to make room for you. The full moon loomed over the city's buildings, watching with curiosity as its people wandered back and forth. Out on the street, you could see several news vans positioned outside the hotel. Bustles of reporters and paparazzi stood behind the security guards who blocked the entrance, begging to be let in. The thick windows blocked out muffled most of the sounds from the outside, and the height of the building freed you from the nosy photographers. Despite the strong smell of dust and the dim lighting from the moon, you felt more comfortable here than you did downstairs. 

"I don't like having my picture taken," you said, breaking the silence. "I just wanted to get away from all of those cameras and the noise. In all honesty, I don't think I should've come to this event in the first place."

"Oh?" Jumin kept his gaze on the window, not looking at anything in particular. 

"I haven't told you much about myself, have I?"

"You have not."

"I'm not an interesting person, really." You sighed. "I'm just a storyteller. I like to write stories, and I like to hear what people think of them. I don't really do much outside of that."

 _I don't have any friends or family left,_ you wanted to say, but you didn't. 

"Hm." Jumin slightly lowered his head but kept his eyes on the window. "What kind of stories do you write?"

"I've written a bit of everything. It used to be mostly romance and mystery back in my college days, but about a year ago, I've been focusing more on mystery novels." You paused. "Sometimes I still throw in a love interest, though. I'd argue that it's just a habit, but I also think I can be a bit of a hopeless romantic sometimes. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, as they say."

"What changed?"

"With what?"

"Your writing style."

"Oh." You let out a bitter laugh, ignoring the sudden twist in your stomach. "It's not a happy answer. I-If I'm talking too much about myself, please feel free to stop me."

"I did ask, (Y/N), but you don't need to explain anything to me if you wish to keep that information to yourself." Jumin's eyes lowered to meet yours. "If it's a secret, though, you can trust that I won't tell a soul without your explicit permission." 

You drew in a breath.

And exhaled. 

"I started to hate the thought of love." You pulled your arms tight against your body and stared at the floor as your mind wandered. "I hated the word, the feeling, the picture of happy couples having something that I could only dream about, but not possess in my own relationship. I craved its warmth, but I hated how suffocating and blind it could make me feel. It was incredibly frustrating. I didn't want to write it anymore. I didn't want to think about it. I wanted that feeling to be gone."

"...Oh." His brows furrowed as if he didn't fully understand, but still wanted to try. "I see..."

"Have you ever been in love, Jumin?"

"Romantically speaking, no. I haven't. But I assume you...?"

Leaning into your palm, you gazed up at the dark cloudy sky. "Do you recall what I said I was doing before I joined the messenger?"

"You were leaving the country. Correct?"

"Heh, yeah. It's only been three, almost four days, but it feels so much longer than that." You cocked your head to the side and gave him a weak smile. "I'll save you the details of my long and tragic love life, but basically, I moved to South Korea because I was in love with a man who I thought loved me back a few years ago. I think at the beginning, he did love me, but things took a turn for the worse, and he seemed to change overnight. I no longer knew the stranger who slept beside me at night. He never laid a hand on me, but his cruel words and harsh criticisms were enough to shatter my lovesick heart into tiny, sickly pieces. It was just subtle comments at first, but then it turned into him forcing me to cut contact with my friends and family back home and ordering me around the house we shared. I know I should've left earlier, but I though I could change him and go back to how we used to be. Before I knew it I had no one left, and the thought of being on my own terrified me. We lived like strangers for a year, and I grew less depressed and more numb every day until I finally packed my bags and left in the middle of the night. I didn't even tell him I was leaving; I honestly don't think he'd care to know. I think he only cares about his work. But that was on the night before my phone got hacked at the airport, and I joined the RFA's chatroom. And, well," you gestured towards him. "You know the rest."

Jumin stared back at you. He was silent for a few seconds, and you opted to look out the window instead of trying to figure out what was behind that neutral mask of his. If he was judging you, you didn't know. You didn't want to know. 

"I had no idea you had gone through so many troubles before meeting us, (Y/N)." His voice was soft.

"We all have our demons." You leaned into your palm and gazed at the dark buildings outside the window. "Mine just happened to be in the form of a man who could build me up and crush my hopes in mere seconds."

Jumin awkwardly shifted behind you. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if he was struggling to find the right words to say. "Are... are you...?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, I guess. We fell out of love a long time ago, so I'm not exactly feeling sad. If anything, I'm bitter and angry at him and myself, but I'm also apathetic at the same time." You twirled a strand of hair between your fingers. "I know there's aren't healthy feelings, but they're still mine, so I don't want to just brush them aside without addressing them. Despite everything, I don't want to just push everyone and everything away again, and I don't want to spend my life hating myself, him, and the world. Life is full of darkness, that's for sure, but there's still so much beautiful light in it. Like I said, it's complicated. I've got a lot to think about, but I know I'm gonna keep 'love' in the storybooks and out of my personal life from now on. My heart's been through so much, and it needs time to learn how to love again before it can actually give it to someone. I'm not actually sure it's something I'll be able to do again, though."

"(Y/N)...."

"Was that too much? I'm sorry." Feeling embarrassed, you turned away. "It's been a hectic week for a number of reasons. I haven't really talked to anyone in person since I joined the RFA, so thank you for listening."

"Are you saying you'll never fall in love again?" 

Something warm was draped over your shoulders, and you looked up to see Jumin's face, mere inches away from your own as he gently placed his black suit jacket over you. The storms in his eyes seemed to clear just a little bit, but you were too busy drowning in the scent of his heavenly cologne than to fully notice the soft look on his face. 

"J-Jumin?" You stuttered, caught off by how close he suddenly was. 

Jumin blinked. As if he just realized the situation he had just put the two of you in, and he took a step back. He adjusted his perfectly-placed tie and cleared his throat. "My apologies if I made you uncomfortable. I'm... not exactly the best with comforting others, but you were kind enough to keep me company tonight, so I assumed that I should at the very least keep my dear friend from getting cold."

"Friend?" 

"Yes, friend." He gave you a small smile. "If it is alright, I'd like to be friends with you, (Y/N)."

"Yeah. I'd like that a lot, Jumin."

"I won't inform the other members about what you shared with me tonight. If your past is something you want them to know, I think it would be best for you to tell them instead."

"Jaehee and Zen know that I was in an abusive relationship, but..." You rubbed your elbow. "They don't as much as you do. I haven't even mentioned it to Seven or Yoosung."

"Regardless, out of respect for you, I'll keep it a secret." He paused. "Unless this ex of yours somehow becomes a threat to you or the RFA. I'm afraid everyone's safety will take priority then if that were to occur."

You stifled a snort. "Jumin, he's a horrible guy, but he wouldn't go that far. Besides, David is a world-famous private investigator. He's got a reputation to uphold."

"David?"

"That's his name, yeah."

Jumin made a troubled face. "Now I don't know if I can ever trust a man named David ever again."

"Pftt--" You laughed. "That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"I disagree. A private investigator knows how to successfully go undercover and remained unnoticed, especially an experienced one."

"I guess he did do some undercover work... But if he was in disguise, wouldn't he be using a fake name?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps he'd use his real name in an attempt to further trick others."

"Jumin." You placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. You smiled when he looked at you. "You're wonderful to care, but I think you're giving this too much thought. David is a very busy man, and knowing him, me leaving him suddenly is not a priority in his schedule. I can tell you're half-joking with all of this, though, so I appreciate the laugh."

"It wasn't completely a joke, no. Not many people can pick up on my sense of humor, but... I'm glad you're feeling better, (Y/N)." 

"We've been talking a lot about me tonight. Are _you_ feeling better, though?"

Jumin's eyes slightly hardened, but his voice was still soft. "I'm fine, yes. This isn't... an ideal situation, but... Rest assured that I will discuss the situation further with my father in the morning. Please don't worry about me. You have enough troubles of your own."

"Okay." You squeezed his shoulder. "If you ever need me, just give me a call, and I'll be there, okay?"

"Thank you. That's... very kind of you to offer."

You removed your hand from his shoulder and Jumin adjusted his sleeves. When he was done, his eyes flickered towards the exit. 

"I suppose we should leave before the reporters find us. My apologies for ruining your banquet experience with my family's personal troubles. However." His eyes landed on you. "I hope you were joking earlier when you said the dessert was going to be your only meal for the night. Nutrition is very important for keeping our bodies healthy. If you weren't joking, I can--"

_Ding!_

"Huh? I think that's the messenger," you said, pulling out your phone.

"It's probably Assistant Kang. She might be looking for us."

_Ding!_

_Ding!_

_Ding!_

You froze when the screen lit up again, giving you a solid three seconds to read his username before it went dark once more.

"U-um... no, it's not Jaehee." You flipped your phone over to show Jumin its screen. "It's Unknown."

Faster than you've ever seen him move, Jumin was by your side in a heartbeat. He squinted at the lock screen.

"It just says 'Unknown sent you an image.' Why would he type that?"

"Oh, uh, that's just my phone settings. Unknown didn't actually type that. I have it set up to not show my images without unlocking it first, to keep people from uh..." Jumin was leaning over your shoulder, blankly staring at your screen. "N-never mind. I'll just unlock it and... oh."

 **Unknown:** It's a nice night for parties, but the best party can only be found at Paradise, where you belong. 

**Unknown:** My Savior and I are preparing for your stay with us. We won't keep you waiting for much longer.

 **Unknown:** Here is your official invite. Do with it what you will. 

_**Unknown sent an image. It's a picture of the night sky. A full moon is barely peeking out from behind some familiar tall and dark buildings.** _

"What...?" You tried to type back a reply, but your phone froze on the image. "I-I don't understand. How is this an invite?"

"I don't know," Jumin said, his suddenly gaze cold. "But you're not going back to Rika's apartment tonight."

"What?" You spun around to face him. "Why not?"

"Because I can't send my guards with you without ignoring your promise to V."

"But where else am I supposed to go?"

"My penthouse. I'll call the building's staff to start making any arrangements you'll be needing for the next few days, but right now we need to leave. Unknown know you're in this building, and we're alone up here." He started to walk towards you, his hand reaching for your own. "We need to get you somewhere safe, (Y/N)."

"H-hang on, w-wait a second! Can't we talk about this?" Your back hit the window. "Jumin, I'm happy you care for me, but this is really sudden. I'm still trying to process Unknown's messages. P-plus Luciel says the apartment is safe, right?"

"Unknown's messages indicate that you're in immediate danger. Luciel is brilliant, but unlike him, I will not sit back and watch my dear friend get kidnapped by someone who has displayed stalking tendencies and some form of ulterior motive behind his messages. V won't answer my calls, so I can't send guards with you. I can have as many as you need at my penthouse, though. It's the safest place for you to be until we have a plan."

"B-but Jumin, we just met, and I really don't want to be a bother--" You stopped and stared out the window. "No. Way."

"What?" Jumin joined you. "What is it?"

"I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner. Look!" You held out your phone, which was still frozen on the image Unknown sent you, and compared it to the sky. There was a slight difference with how the camera was angled, but the buildings in front of the full moon matched perfectly. 

Jumin's face hardened. "It's even worse than I thought. Not only does he know where you are, but he's here, too. We need to leave now. I'll contact security right away to escort us down--"

"What if this picture isn't just a picture, though?" You wondered, waving your phone. "Unknown said he was sending me an invite. This picture looks like it was taken on a higher floor than the one we're on, but the only thing above us is the roof. What if this picture was a hint for the location where the real invite is?"

"Then I'll send guards up there to investigate, but this is not something you need to explore on your own."

"But this is an invite for _me,_ Jumin. It's something he wanted me to find." Your face darkened. "This was recent. He might still be up there."

"All the more reason to get out of here and leave this to the professionals. (Y/N), I already contacted the guards and they're on their way. We need to wait for them by the door."

"I saw a ladder on my up here. It was behind one of the piles of furniture." You dunked under Jumin's arm and sprinted towards the corner of the room. Just like you remembered, there was a small but sturdy ladder leading up to a latched door on the ceiling. Consumed by the adrenaline rush, you shook off your heels and started to climb it, but a hand caught your arm and stopped you.

"What in the world are you doing?" Jumin snapped, his bangs loose and hanging over his pale face. "I don't think you fully realize the gravity of the situation. Unknown is a dangerous man with hacking skills that rival Luciel's. You are one woman. Please, _please_ leave this to the authorities, and come down."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because I need to know why!"

"What what?!"

"Why me!" you cried. "I want to know why out of everyone else in the world did he pick me to be sent to that apartment? Why did he hack the RFA and add me to the messenger? Why does he keep calling and texting me, and why is he harassing my friends? I need to know why!"

"You don't have to answer these questions now! This could be a trap!"

"I'm so sick and tired of hiding and running from men who think they control me. This might be my only chance to get some questions answered. If you're worried, then you can come with me, but I need to do this." In one quick maneuver, you removed your arm from Jumin's grasp and quickly scaled the ladder, leaving Jumin completely dumbstruck at the sight of your agility. "I'm sorry! If he's up there, I won't get close. I'll be right back. I promise!"

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)! I-oh, that's security outside the door. I'm coming, but (Y/N) _please_ don't do anything irrational."

You unlatched the door and pushed it open before climbing out. Immediately, the cold wind attacked your skin through the thin fabric of your dress, but you paid it no mind as you spun around and assessed the environment. For better or for worse, though, Unknown was long gone, and you were alone on the roof. 

Well, not entirely. 

In your hurry, you nearly overlooked it at first, but there, by your feet near the latched door was a pink vase full of assorted flowers. Stuck to it was a simple blue flyer. A swirly drawing of a eye was printed on top, and in the center, three words were printed out in green text. The flyer was oddly folded as if it was placed in something small before hand, but it was still easy to read. 

**W E L C O M E, N E W B E L I E V E R**

Those words made you frown. Believer? What does that mean? 

The first conversation you had with Unknown clicked on in your head. Something he said to you back then was odd, and you noticed it but brushed it off. 

_Oh! Sorry I didn't mention it before. I'm religious._

Were those two things related? Is this some sort of religious organization he's trying to recruit you in? If that's true, then this meant Unknown isn't working completely alone. 

You lifted up the vase and found a envelope. Your first name was written in cursive on the front, and a green wax seal with the mystical same eye shape kept it shut. You paused for a second to take a picture of the seal before breaking it and opening the envelope. Inside was a hastily-written note that seemed to be ripped from a journal, a stark contrast to the delicately crafted envelope. Ignoring the shouts from Jumin's security as they ascended the ladder behind you, you quickly read the letter, but it wasn't anything you thought it would be. 

_Dear (Y/N),_

_My Savior doesn't know I'm including this letter in your invitation, but I've seen how the others have been manipulating you, and I can no longer sit by and watch. You cannot trust the RFA. They are only interested in you for their own selfish reasons, and two of them are keeping very important secrets hidden from you. My merciful Savior believes some of them can be saved and are worthy of Paradise, but the two corrupted ones are too far gone. These two are wicked, and they are constantly filling your head with lies. They are only trying to get you to lower your guard so that they can hurt you. I'm telling you this so that way you may be saved from corruption as well. That redhead is especially dangerous, and although the other one is blind, his cruel words have even tricked my Savior before. Do NOT trust them._

_I would never lie to you, (Y/N). You were sent to the RFA for a mission, but those two are trying to ruin the Savior's plans for your and the RFA's freedom. I'll prove to you that they don't have your best interests at heart. If you still don't trust me, then open up the messenger, and ask Luciel or V what would have happened if the security system wasn't disabled on the night you walked into that apartment? The answer will hurt you, but you will know the truth then._

_I'll come get you soon._

_I promise._

Despite the conflicting pain in your heart, when Jumin's men reached the roof and confiscated the items from you for security reasons, you folded the note and hide it in your dress before they noticed. Not because you were trying to hide anything, nor because you believed Unknown's letter.

It was because at this moment you realized you barely knew anything about the RFA, especially V and 707, the most secretive and seemingly-harmless people in the messenger.

And you had no idea what you had gotten yourself into. 


End file.
